Saturday, May 19, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Chapter 24: In which the Pirates view the future!
Well, the end has come. And much like those movies where, at the end, we're shown where all of the characters go in the future (see: Mallrats), its time to look into the future of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 and see whats out there.
One of the technologies we didn't review, possibly because its not really available yet, is Google's much-attacked attempt to make books and articles available online. Like eBooks for academia, Google's been scanning college libraries into their system in the hopes of offering them online for everyone to use. The project keeps getting held back due to Copyright issues, but in time I think we'll see a large portion of the reference books currently kept by institutions available to the general public. Whats so good about that? As an example, Doogie Howser was not a very believable show, in part because its hard to believe a kid of his age had access to all the medical reference books he needed to get his MD. But with this sort of technology, who knows? The next great Tom Swift may be a kid who learned engineering at home on the web.
Games are another aspect of Web 2.0 we didn't explore. I realize not everyone would think of video games as being an important part of web culture, but statistics show increasing numbers of people are playing video games every year. With gaming consoles like the Wii, X-Box 360, and Playstation3 offering online content, and Flash and Java continuing to provide some wonderful single- and multi-player games through your web browser, the Community aspect of Web 2.0 is becoming more and more an important factor of a game's success. World of Warcraft, arguably one of the most popular video games available, is all about Community. Monthly contests are run for online comics. Fan sites, forums, scripting communities, wikis, and databases related to the game spring up regularly! Runescape is a free, Java-based MMORPG with a player-base that claims to beat World of Warcraft. Because its free, and due to how the game is run, its very popular with young teens and tweens. Much like WoW, it exemplifies the Community aspect of gaming by promoting teamwork as opposed to soloing.
Second Life was mentioned briefly back in Lesson #9, but the focus was on MySpace. One could argue that Second Life addresses my point about gaming, but Second Life is more about creating a 'world' in which people can live everyday lives online. Games like Runescape and World of Warcraft, on the other hand, are games in a much more traditional sense. There are quests go to on, players and enemies to interact with, and rewards for progression. Second Life, as a simulated 'real' world (hence the name) doesn't offer these kinds of things, because its not really a game.
I do think KCLS has done a great job with our 27 Things project, and even if neither of my recommendations make it into a similar sort of curiculum at any point, I'm happy to have been a part of it.
One of the technologies we didn't review, possibly because its not really available yet, is Google's much-attacked attempt to make books and articles available online. Like eBooks for academia, Google's been scanning college libraries into their system in the hopes of offering them online for everyone to use. The project keeps getting held back due to Copyright issues, but in time I think we'll see a large portion of the reference books currently kept by institutions available to the general public. Whats so good about that? As an example, Doogie Howser was not a very believable show, in part because its hard to believe a kid of his age had access to all the medical reference books he needed to get his MD. But with this sort of technology, who knows? The next great Tom Swift may be a kid who learned engineering at home on the web.
Games are another aspect of Web 2.0 we didn't explore. I realize not everyone would think of video games as being an important part of web culture, but statistics show increasing numbers of people are playing video games every year. With gaming consoles like the Wii, X-Box 360, and Playstation3 offering online content, and Flash and Java continuing to provide some wonderful single- and multi-player games through your web browser, the Community aspect of Web 2.0 is becoming more and more an important factor of a game's success. World of Warcraft, arguably one of the most popular video games available, is all about Community. Monthly contests are run for online comics. Fan sites, forums, scripting communities, wikis, and databases related to the game spring up regularly! Runescape is a free, Java-based MMORPG with a player-base that claims to beat World of Warcraft. Because its free, and due to how the game is run, its very popular with young teens and tweens. Much like WoW, it exemplifies the Community aspect of gaming by promoting teamwork as opposed to soloing.
Second Life was mentioned briefly back in Lesson #9, but the focus was on MySpace. One could argue that Second Life addresses my point about gaming, but Second Life is more about creating a 'world' in which people can live everyday lives online. Games like Runescape and World of Warcraft, on the other hand, are games in a much more traditional sense. There are quests go to on, players and enemies to interact with, and rewards for progression. Second Life, as a simulated 'real' world (hence the name) doesn't offer these kinds of things, because its not really a game.
I do think KCLS has done a great job with our 27 Things project, and even if neither of my recommendations make it into a similar sort of curiculum at any point, I'm happy to have been a part of it.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Chapter 23: In which the Pirates wax reflective
This is it, the home stretch! Today we think back on everything we've learned, tomorrow we have punch and pie (or at least I hope we do. Mmmm pie). So while we're supposed to reflect on few general ideas, let me first speak of the most general question of them all: What did I think about the Learning 2.0 Project?
On the whole, I liked it. While I had some fairly negative posts (see MySpace and YouTube), looking at the project overall, I think it was a great experience. It was a great way to take those that didn't know much about Web 2.0 (and, to be honest, that doesn't really include me) and show them around, while making it relevant and entertaining. And thats the most important part, that the project took some abstract concepts like Favorites sharing, and made it into something a library staff member can relate to and understand. For the most part, I think it was handled and presented very well, too. There were a few rough spots, but much of that had to do with the lack of usability for a specific site, not through fault of the project.
I've been a computer user for long enough, it was hard for me to be 'surprised' by anything we did for Learning 2.0, or for me to be completely won over by any of the sites we were introduced to. However, blogging in general has become much more interesting to me. Through this blog, and reading several other blogs regularly, I have come to appreciate a good blog. Granted, there are plenty of bad blogs out there, and personal journals like LiveJournal have always seemed pretty pointless to me. But a blog that doesn't dwell on deep inner feelings and instead focuses on interesting events and experiences, or is based around a particular theme such as a tech blog, can be enjoyable to read and participate in. Even before this project began, I began feeling like becoming a blogger, even just for fun, could be an interesting way to participate in a community I've enjoyed for so long. Learning 2.0 has only helped to promote that interest, and made me consider continuing on with this blog once Learning 2.0 is finished. I haven't decided on a theme yet, or if there will be one beyond 'what new and interesting thing did I do this week?', but we'll see.
As to whether or not I'd like to see this sort of training offered for future technologies, I'm not entirely certain there will be enough out there in the not-too-distant future to offer something like this. However, were there to be more technology and concepts developed in the coming years to offer such a project, I would certainly like to be involved with it again. As an advocate, Learning 2.0 was a great experience and I would be happy to reprise that roll sometime in the future.
On the whole, I liked it. While I had some fairly negative posts (see MySpace and YouTube), looking at the project overall, I think it was a great experience. It was a great way to take those that didn't know much about Web 2.0 (and, to be honest, that doesn't really include me) and show them around, while making it relevant and entertaining. And thats the most important part, that the project took some abstract concepts like Favorites sharing, and made it into something a library staff member can relate to and understand. For the most part, I think it was handled and presented very well, too. There were a few rough spots, but much of that had to do with the lack of usability for a specific site, not through fault of the project.
I've been a computer user for long enough, it was hard for me to be 'surprised' by anything we did for Learning 2.0, or for me to be completely won over by any of the sites we were introduced to. However, blogging in general has become much more interesting to me. Through this blog, and reading several other blogs regularly, I have come to appreciate a good blog. Granted, there are plenty of bad blogs out there, and personal journals like LiveJournal have always seemed pretty pointless to me. But a blog that doesn't dwell on deep inner feelings and instead focuses on interesting events and experiences, or is based around a particular theme such as a tech blog, can be enjoyable to read and participate in. Even before this project began, I began feeling like becoming a blogger, even just for fun, could be an interesting way to participate in a community I've enjoyed for so long. Learning 2.0 has only helped to promote that interest, and made me consider continuing on with this blog once Learning 2.0 is finished. I haven't decided on a theme yet, or if there will be one beyond 'what new and interesting thing did I do this week?', but we'll see.
As to whether or not I'd like to see this sort of training offered for future technologies, I'm not entirely certain there will be enough out there in the not-too-distant future to offer something like this. However, were there to be more technology and concepts developed in the coming years to offer such a project, I would certainly like to be involved with it again. As an advocate, Learning 2.0 was a great experience and I would be happy to reprise that roll sometime in the future.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Chapter 22: In which the Pirates go into Overdrive!
So apparently land is in sight, and we have one week left in our Learning 2.0 project! It really hasn't felt like we've been going that long. We've explored so many things, some of which I liked and some I didn't. But overall, I've been pretty impressed at the positive reactions the staff has had towards the project, and how well most everyone is taking to all this new information!
Our last task this week was to explore Overdrive!, an audiobook site KCLS has subscribed to for a while now. And I have to say, I really like Overdrive! I think the layout is great, I think the selection is pretty impressive, and I think the idea is a wonderful extension of an already very popular way of enjoying literature!
I don't listen to audiobooks, if I'm honest. I love to read, and I don't do enough traveling (either in the car, on an airplane, or any of the other modes of transportation upon which you may eat green eggs and ham) to necessitate listening to books instead of reading them. However, I certainly see the benefit of them! My dad DOES do a lot of traveling, and audiobooks are great for him. With Overdrive, he can download books onto his MP3 player and take them across the country on a piece of hardware smaller than a cassette tape. How great is that?!
I wasn't able to find all of my favorite authors through Overdrive, but more and more publishers are making their books available through eBook downloads. The longer we support Overdrive, the better this system is going to become.
Our last task this week was to explore Overdrive!, an audiobook site KCLS has subscribed to for a while now. And I have to say, I really like Overdrive! I think the layout is great, I think the selection is pretty impressive, and I think the idea is a wonderful extension of an already very popular way of enjoying literature!
I don't listen to audiobooks, if I'm honest. I love to read, and I don't do enough traveling (either in the car, on an airplane, or any of the other modes of transportation upon which you may eat green eggs and ham) to necessitate listening to books instead of reading them. However, I certainly see the benefit of them! My dad DOES do a lot of traveling, and audiobooks are great for him. With Overdrive, he can download books onto his MP3 player and take them across the country on a piece of hardware smaller than a cassette tape. How great is that?!
I wasn't able to find all of my favorite authors through Overdrive, but more and more publishers are making their books available through eBook downloads. The longer we support Overdrive, the better this system is going to become.
Chapter 21: In which the Pirates check out Podcasting
I'll be honest with you, I didn't listen to any of the podcasts I explored. I see very little point behind your average podcast. Like YouTube's video blogs, most of the podcasts out there are little more than blogs being read to you by the author. I did, however, do some searches for interesting Library-related podcasts, and came up with LibVibe. From the desciption of each 'episode', there was some good stuff being discussed on their podcast... I just would rather read about it than listen to someone talk about it.
Don't get me wrong, podcasts do have their uses! I feel more classes, especially online classes, should provide podcasts of each days' lesson so that students that missed a day, or would like to revisit a topic discussed that day, have access to the lecture. But when it comes to an interview with the 08-09 ALA president, I'd rather read about it than listen to it. Maybe because if I disagree with the person, yelling at a typed paragraph on a website looks slightly less silly than arguing with a pre-recorded voice (as if I would EVER do that...).
So did I see any podcast ideas worth trying? No. And even if I did, why bother? Studies suggest podcasts aren't nearly as popular as blogs, yet in this case they'd address the same issues. Podcasts are also more expensive, as they require additional bandwidth to host. Its not like a Story Time with Mr. Jim podcast would be nearly as impressive as seeing it live. Nor do I feel like the Bill Board needs to be read to me by Bill himself. So save some time and money and blog about library-related issues, but don't bother recording them. Not many people are listening. I know I'm not.
Don't get me wrong, podcasts do have their uses! I feel more classes, especially online classes, should provide podcasts of each days' lesson so that students that missed a day, or would like to revisit a topic discussed that day, have access to the lecture. But when it comes to an interview with the 08-09 ALA president, I'd rather read about it than listen to it. Maybe because if I disagree with the person, yelling at a typed paragraph on a website looks slightly less silly than arguing with a pre-recorded voice (as if I would EVER do that...).
So did I see any podcast ideas worth trying? No. And even if I did, why bother? Studies suggest podcasts aren't nearly as popular as blogs, yet in this case they'd address the same issues. Podcasts are also more expensive, as they require additional bandwidth to host. Its not like a Story Time with Mr. Jim podcast would be nearly as impressive as seeing it live. Nor do I feel like the Bill Board needs to be read to me by Bill himself. So save some time and money and blog about library-related issues, but don't bother recording them. Not many people are listening. I know I'm not.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Chapter 20: In which the Pirates go slumming
If you think of the Internet like a city, its easy to picture the city in terms of districts. News and business sites are 'downtown', personal websites and DIYs are the residential district, and eCommerce is obviously the marketplace. And like most cities, the Internet has its red light district. Unfortunately for the Internet though, this city also has slum. An area so bad even the red light district stays away. Here in Seattle I think of Burien, White Center, Boulevard Park, and West Seattle. On the Internet, its YouTube.
Now, like Burien and West Seattle, YouTube certainly has some good things. Burien has (or had?) a great sub shop attached to their Fred Meyer, and Boulevard Park has a nice beach (nevermind that my car was broken into there). YouTube has plenty of gems, too. Videos like Adventure Time, which I posted about a long while back, and the PG-rated 300 Trailer. Rob Paravonian, a musical comedian from the east coast, has a bunch of clips on YouTube and they're brilliant! And when the BBC doesn't have them taken down, as they often do, there's more than enough Top Gear clips to whet your appetite. But thats not what YouTube is really about. YouTube is about social networking, much like many of our previous Web 2.0 sites have been, and thats where the true Renton-ness of YouTube shines through.
Blogs like this one, and the millions of others out there, are often about sharing your thoughts and opinions with anyone out there that can track you down. But due to the nature of the Internet, and the many different blog sites out there, most of the time what you post on your blog is yours and yours alone. It isn't splashed on the front page of many different websites, enticing their users to read what you said. And rarely does anyone bother to 'steal' your blog post and use it as their own. But YouTube and many sites like it, tend to glorify random video blogs by posting them all over the front page. The social networking aspect of tags also means some of the most random videos you've ever seen will show up as related links to an amusing video you found. This means more and more people, mostly teenagers whose legal rights and privacy in these instances are in question as it is, are competing to be on the front page. So you've got plenty of guys and girls treating YouTube as their own personal strip show. You've got people so in need of attention that they advertise their cell phone number just to see how many people will call them. And you've got people posting video of their 'friends' at their most vulnerable, probably without concent. Its attention whoring at its worst, and the format is only becoming more popular as time goes on.
So how does this relate to Library 2.0? To be honest, it doesn't. Online video streaming does, but YouTube and its ilk do not. So lets talk about Streaming video content! As mentioned in today's Learning 2.0 description, streaming video has improved greatly over the past few years. So much in fact that most major TV networks now offer their regular TV content through their website as well! And in some cases, it actually looks better. HD broadcasts on a non-HD TV don't look any better than a non-HD broadcast. But an HD broadcast on a good computer monitor will look spectacular. And with this improvement comes the ability to distribute content to more and more people! Content like KCLS's own Story Time with Dewey and Sketch are a perfect example of how local content can be distributed globally. Through streaming video, many of the Dewey and Sketch story times are available for free, without a library card, straight through our website.
The same kind of approach can be taken with many of our events. Book talks, author visits, and seminars that are hosted at our local libraries can be recorded and shared through our website. This is also a wonderful way for local teens to become involved! Invite them to give book talks for their favorite books. YouTube proves just how much teens enjoy recording their thoughts for the Internet to see, why not harness that enthusiasm?
Now, like Burien and West Seattle, YouTube certainly has some good things. Burien has (or had?) a great sub shop attached to their Fred Meyer, and Boulevard Park has a nice beach (nevermind that my car was broken into there). YouTube has plenty of gems, too. Videos like Adventure Time, which I posted about a long while back, and the PG-rated 300 Trailer. Rob Paravonian, a musical comedian from the east coast, has a bunch of clips on YouTube and they're brilliant! And when the BBC doesn't have them taken down, as they often do, there's more than enough Top Gear clips to whet your appetite. But thats not what YouTube is really about. YouTube is about social networking, much like many of our previous Web 2.0 sites have been, and thats where the true Renton-ness of YouTube shines through.
Blogs like this one, and the millions of others out there, are often about sharing your thoughts and opinions with anyone out there that can track you down. But due to the nature of the Internet, and the many different blog sites out there, most of the time what you post on your blog is yours and yours alone. It isn't splashed on the front page of many different websites, enticing their users to read what you said. And rarely does anyone bother to 'steal' your blog post and use it as their own. But YouTube and many sites like it, tend to glorify random video blogs by posting them all over the front page. The social networking aspect of tags also means some of the most random videos you've ever seen will show up as related links to an amusing video you found. This means more and more people, mostly teenagers whose legal rights and privacy in these instances are in question as it is, are competing to be on the front page. So you've got plenty of guys and girls treating YouTube as their own personal strip show. You've got people so in need of attention that they advertise their cell phone number just to see how many people will call them. And you've got people posting video of their 'friends' at their most vulnerable, probably without concent. Its attention whoring at its worst, and the format is only becoming more popular as time goes on.
So how does this relate to Library 2.0? To be honest, it doesn't. Online video streaming does, but YouTube and its ilk do not. So lets talk about Streaming video content! As mentioned in today's Learning 2.0 description, streaming video has improved greatly over the past few years. So much in fact that most major TV networks now offer their regular TV content through their website as well! And in some cases, it actually looks better. HD broadcasts on a non-HD TV don't look any better than a non-HD broadcast. But an HD broadcast on a good computer monitor will look spectacular. And with this improvement comes the ability to distribute content to more and more people! Content like KCLS's own Story Time with Dewey and Sketch are a perfect example of how local content can be distributed globally. Through streaming video, many of the Dewey and Sketch story times are available for free, without a library card, straight through our website.
The same kind of approach can be taken with many of our events. Book talks, author visits, and seminars that are hosted at our local libraries can be recorded and shared through our website. This is also a wonderful way for local teens to become involved! Invite them to give book talks for their favorite books. YouTube proves just how much teens enjoy recording their thoughts for the Internet to see, why not harness that enthusiasm?
Friday, April 27, 2007
Chapter 19: In which the Pirates explore the unknown!
The final task this week is to explore the aspects of Web 2.0 that we haven't already discovered, and wouldn't be without this opportunity. By browsing through the Web 2.0 Awards list, we were asked to find an interesting site or two to blog about, especially in relation to Library 2.0.
While we've been doing Learning 2.0, I usually struggle in the beginning to see how these Web 2.0 apps would affect or help libraries. With many of them, I've been able to figure it out in the end, but in a few instances I still don't see the point. So this exercise was a little difficult, because its hard to look at brief descriptions of web apps and be able to find one that is both interesting and relevant to libraries! Some of the sites listed would be interesting to point patrons toward through our website, but that doesn't really benefit the library in the way some of our Web 2.0 sites have.
One interesting site I saw, but didn't explore, was Last.fm, a custom streaming 'station'. My first thought was that, through a website like this, libraries could provide samples of the music available through their catalog, or give library patrons something to listen to while they browse the other available services in the system. At present, however, there are probably a thousand different reasons you can trace back to the RIAA as to why this wouldn't work. I could see the headlines now: "Library System gives kids free pirating tools, everything but a boat". As if Pirating is a bad thing!
Continuing through the list, the only other site I saw that I felt might benefit the library system is a site I'm already familiar with: Threadless, a shirt design site thats been around for a long time. Featuring such classics as The Loch Ness Imposter, Pandamonium, The Diabolical Hot Dog, You Are What You Eat (my personal favorite), and The Communist Party, the site is all about user submission and participation. Artists submit an idea for a shirt, and users can vote on it. If a design gets a high enough score, its submitted to be made into a shirt! Users can also comment on designs, voicing approval or disapproval, asking for revisions, or just generally commenting. Over the years the site has become more and more popular, and popular fashion trends tend to show up early on the site. If you want to look hip and cool, the latest shirts on Threadless are a great place to go.
How would Threadless help out libraries? How many aspiring artists out there wouldn't love to have a say in what their Summer Reading Program artwork looks like? How about those plastic bags we hand out that are actually pretty popular (well, they are!)? Why not give patrons a chance to design what our bags look like? Threadless even has a few 'competitions' going on through their site. Entitled "Loves Threadless", many groups (such as bands, movie studios, and websites) sponsor design competitions. Usually involving some sort of prize, each group asks for designs around a particular theme. How cool would it be to see "KCLS Loves Threadless"? It would be yet another way for patrons to contribute to their library system and get something back.
Perhaps this way I can get my STUF THIS SI LIBARY
shirt!
While we've been doing Learning 2.0, I usually struggle in the beginning to see how these Web 2.0 apps would affect or help libraries. With many of them, I've been able to figure it out in the end, but in a few instances I still don't see the point. So this exercise was a little difficult, because its hard to look at brief descriptions of web apps and be able to find one that is both interesting and relevant to libraries! Some of the sites listed would be interesting to point patrons toward through our website, but that doesn't really benefit the library in the way some of our Web 2.0 sites have.
One interesting site I saw, but didn't explore, was Last.fm, a custom streaming 'station'. My first thought was that, through a website like this, libraries could provide samples of the music available through their catalog, or give library patrons something to listen to while they browse the other available services in the system. At present, however, there are probably a thousand different reasons you can trace back to the RIAA as to why this wouldn't work. I could see the headlines now: "Library System gives kids free pirating tools, everything but a boat". As if Pirating is a bad thing!
Continuing through the list, the only other site I saw that I felt might benefit the library system is a site I'm already familiar with: Threadless, a shirt design site thats been around for a long time. Featuring such classics as The Loch Ness Imposter, Pandamonium, The Diabolical Hot Dog, You Are What You Eat (my personal favorite), and The Communist Party, the site is all about user submission and participation. Artists submit an idea for a shirt, and users can vote on it. If a design gets a high enough score, its submitted to be made into a shirt! Users can also comment on designs, voicing approval or disapproval, asking for revisions, or just generally commenting. Over the years the site has become more and more popular, and popular fashion trends tend to show up early on the site. If you want to look hip and cool, the latest shirts on Threadless are a great place to go.
How would Threadless help out libraries? How many aspiring artists out there wouldn't love to have a say in what their Summer Reading Program artwork looks like? How about those plastic bags we hand out that are actually pretty popular (well, they are!)? Why not give patrons a chance to design what our bags look like? Threadless even has a few 'competitions' going on through their site. Entitled "Loves Threadless", many groups (such as bands, movie studios, and websites) sponsor design competitions. Usually involving some sort of prize, each group asks for designs around a particular theme. How cool would it be to see "KCLS Loves Threadless"? It would be yet another way for patrons to contribute to their library system and get something back.
Perhaps this way I can get my STUF THIS SI LIBARY
shirt!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Chapter 17: In which the Pirates mess about in Google Labs
"Today, we're going to learn to make plutonium from common household items."
-Filo (UHF)
In a sense, Google has been doing just that for years. They take common websites, throw in a little Google flare, and make into something grand! And this week, we Learning 2.0ers were tasked with poking about inside their super-secret (read: free to browse) web lab, where some of their upcoming ideas are being worked on. There are even a few bubbling beakers lying about!
Looking at their list of current Projects, it was hard for me to choose where to start first. If I'm honest, half the stuff on their list looked pretty silly to me. Take Google Sets for example. You enter in a few items from a set of things, and it predicts more items that belong in this set. WHY?! What the heck is the point of this?! I put in Pink Floyd, Yes, and ELO, and it was able to predict 12 more band names, thereby filling in a set of Prog rock band names. Bravo. Wow. Amazing. How the heck does that help me in any way? But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that while Google Sets itself is pretty useless, its a good example of Prediction and Customization technology. By demonstrating how they can predict things you may be interested in, based on just a few pieces of information you've entered, they're giving you a glimpse into how they'll be able to better serve you, and your web searches, in the future. How about that, eh?
I returned to the lab and checked out what was behind Door #2. And this time, instead of finding a brand new technology I've never seen before, I found something much simpler. A variation on their already wonderful Google Maps they're calling Google Transit. Now, if you live in the King County area, you've probably used the King County Metro's Regional Trip Planner, a site to help you find which bus(es) to take to get you where you're going. And you've probably also been witness to how bad this trip planner can be. Its very picky about addresses, its not exactly the prettiest website to look at, and most of all its not very accurate. This is where Google Transit comes in! Using the Google Maps API and the bus timetables available through Metro, it recommends three possible routes to take to get you to your destination. The layout seems nicer, and unlike Metro's Trip Planner, Google Transit doesn't recommend the exact same route 2-3 times. Instead it gives you three different choices. Comparing the same "trip", Google Transit gave me three routes, only one of which was recommended by Metro's site. Add to that Google Maps' ability to show you real time traffic on the same map, and you even get a sense of which route will avoid the worst traffic. Google Transit is only available in select cities right now, as is the traffic report addition to Google maps. But thankfully, Seattle is one of them. Oh, and don't forget to visit Google Maps for your next visit to Japan, where they state they do trip planning for "All regional and national rail networks, domestic airlines and ferries"!
-Filo (UHF)
In a sense, Google has been doing just that for years. They take common websites, throw in a little Google flare, and make into something grand! And this week, we Learning 2.0ers were tasked with poking about inside their super-secret (read: free to browse) web lab, where some of their upcoming ideas are being worked on. There are even a few bubbling beakers lying about!
Looking at their list of current Projects, it was hard for me to choose where to start first. If I'm honest, half the stuff on their list looked pretty silly to me. Take Google Sets for example. You enter in a few items from a set of things, and it predicts more items that belong in this set. WHY?! What the heck is the point of this?! I put in Pink Floyd, Yes, and ELO, and it was able to predict 12 more band names, thereby filling in a set of Prog rock band names. Bravo. Wow. Amazing. How the heck does that help me in any way? But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that while Google Sets itself is pretty useless, its a good example of Prediction and Customization technology. By demonstrating how they can predict things you may be interested in, based on just a few pieces of information you've entered, they're giving you a glimpse into how they'll be able to better serve you, and your web searches, in the future. How about that, eh?
I returned to the lab and checked out what was behind Door #2. And this time, instead of finding a brand new technology I've never seen before, I found something much simpler. A variation on their already wonderful Google Maps they're calling Google Transit. Now, if you live in the King County area, you've probably used the King County Metro's Regional Trip Planner, a site to help you find which bus(es) to take to get you where you're going. And you've probably also been witness to how bad this trip planner can be. Its very picky about addresses, its not exactly the prettiest website to look at, and most of all its not very accurate. This is where Google Transit comes in! Using the Google Maps API and the bus timetables available through Metro, it recommends three possible routes to take to get you to your destination. The layout seems nicer, and unlike Metro's Trip Planner, Google Transit doesn't recommend the exact same route 2-3 times. Instead it gives you three different choices. Comparing the same "trip", Google Transit gave me three routes, only one of which was recommended by Metro's site. Add to that Google Maps' ability to show you real time traffic on the same map, and you even get a sense of which route will avoid the worst traffic. Google Transit is only available in select cities right now, as is the traffic report addition to Google maps. But thankfully, Seattle is one of them. Oh, and don't forget to visit Google Maps for your next visit to Japan, where they state they do trip planning for "All regional and national rail networks, domestic airlines and ferries"!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Chapter 17: In which the Pirates discover Online Productivity Software!
We kick off Week 10 with a look at Online Productivity Software, which is a crafty way of saying online Office products. Back in the day, when it came to Word Processing, there was Microsoft Word and Works, Corel WordPerfect, and not much else! For Spreadsheets you had Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, and FoxPro. And that was pretty much it for Productivity software. Aldus (now called Adobe) Pagemaker and Microsoft Publisher were late on the scene, and most database software was something for hardcore DB'ers, not your average office grunt. Then Microsoft decided to up the ante. While they may not have been the first company to do it, much like Windows, they were the first to make it popular. Microsoft Office changed how the world was run.
Microsoft Office was a "suite" of software designed to address the needs of Office grunts even before they knew what they needed. It included an E-Mail program (e-mail? Whats that?), spreadsheet, word processor, database software, and loads of clipart all in one package. And as it became apparent Microsoft Office was something the business world, Corel tried to hop on the bandwagon with their own suite called WordPerfect Office. But despite being the leader in Word Processing with their original WordPerfect (or WP for us computer gurus), Microsoft Office became King of Productivity Software suites.
But that was then, and this is now. Office 97, Office 2000, OfficeXP, Office 2003, and now Office 2007 have gotten more expensive, more elaborate, and have become more a Corporate suite than a package for average users. Their cheapest suite, Office Home and Student editions, are very meager offerings for the price you pay. So here comes the next Revolution: Online Office Productivity Software!
Google and Zoho offer their own Productivity Software right from their website. And whereas Microsoft and Corel charge a good deal of your hard-earned cash, these cost nothing more than the time it takes to set up an account! Whats more, both products (especially Zoho) offer nearly as much customizability and features as your $150 Office suite, as well as the ability to import documents saved in those antiquated file formats!
Don't get me wrong, Microsoft and Corel have age and experience going for them. Most of their products have few bugs, plenty of documentation, and a constant stream of fixes available through their respective publishers. Google and Zoho are new to the game, and for as brilliant as their coders may be, there are plenty of issues that need to be addressed. As much as I liked Zoho, the amount of trouble I had simply changing the font on my document to Arial was evidence of how new these programs are.
So which do I recommend? For now, I'd say Zoho. Their suite has a lot more to it, and the existing programs all seem more refined. However, Google is an Internet Juggernaut right now, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them snap up Zoho to bolster their own productivity suite. And I'm OK with that, because Google has something of a Midas Touch. Combining these two great suites could result in Microsoft Office finally having some serious competition!
Microsoft Office was a "suite" of software designed to address the needs of Office grunts even before they knew what they needed. It included an E-Mail program (e-mail? Whats that?), spreadsheet, word processor, database software, and loads of clipart all in one package. And as it became apparent Microsoft Office was something the business world, Corel tried to hop on the bandwagon with their own suite called WordPerfect Office. But despite being the leader in Word Processing with their original WordPerfect (or WP for us computer gurus), Microsoft Office became King of Productivity Software suites.
But that was then, and this is now. Office 97, Office 2000, OfficeXP, Office 2003, and now Office 2007 have gotten more expensive, more elaborate, and have become more a Corporate suite than a package for average users. Their cheapest suite, Office Home and Student editions, are very meager offerings for the price you pay. So here comes the next Revolution: Online Office Productivity Software!
Google and Zoho offer their own Productivity Software right from their website. And whereas Microsoft and Corel charge a good deal of your hard-earned cash, these cost nothing more than the time it takes to set up an account! Whats more, both products (especially Zoho) offer nearly as much customizability and features as your $150 Office suite, as well as the ability to import documents saved in those antiquated file formats!
Don't get me wrong, Microsoft and Corel have age and experience going for them. Most of their products have few bugs, plenty of documentation, and a constant stream of fixes available through their respective publishers. Google and Zoho are new to the game, and for as brilliant as their coders may be, there are plenty of issues that need to be addressed. As much as I liked Zoho, the amount of trouble I had simply changing the font on my document to Arial was evidence of how new these programs are.
So which do I recommend? For now, I'd say Zoho. Their suite has a lot more to it, and the existing programs all seem more refined. However, Google is an Internet Juggernaut right now, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them snap up Zoho to bolster their own productivity suite. And I'm OK with that, because Google has something of a Midas Touch. Combining these two great suites could result in Microsoft Office finally having some serious competition!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Chapter 16: In which the Pirates read about Library 2.0
Much like Web 2.0 discusses "user-centric" web models, Library 2.0 is a description for a more user-centric library model. And to be honest, I think its a bunch of baloney!
Don't get me wrong, its not that I think libraries should shun their users and create content only for themselves. Quite the opposite, in fact! I think libraries have been doing this for years! And all Library 2.0 is is a buzz-word created by library administrations around the world to use at the latest ALA conference.
Today's assignment was to read 3 to 5 of the mini-essays on Library 2.0 published on the OCLC website. And while I haven't quite finished reading through them, I already feel the need to react to them. I start, quite illogically, with essay #2 by Michael Stephens: Into a new world of Librarianship. With his trendy Macbook Pro, pulled-back long hair, and a panchant for buzz-words, Michael Stephens comes across more as a Blogger that happens to be a librarian, rather than a Librarian that blogs. He starts by telling us, in essence, that Library 2.0 libraries should cater to their users. Providing resources for patrons. Next, he'll be suggesting we should be open on occasion! Seriously, did we need an essay telling us libraries should cater to patrons? Isn't that kind of a "no duh" statement?
I did find part of his essay particularly amusing, however.
Notice to our Director: Technolust is bad! Even the stupid blogger knows!
But enough about the long-haired hippy. Essay #1 is by Rick Anderson, Director of Resource Acquisitions for the University of Nevada, Reno libraries. His essay is something of a warning to the libraries still living in a 1.0 world, and actually I found his ideas pretty spot-on! He describes 3 "icebergs" that libraries need to begin watching out for, to help keep them relevant and afloat. The first iceberg is the idea of "just in case" collections. And actually, the Bellevue library is a perfect example of this! Spread across 3 floors, the Bellevue library has thousands of books, on any and every subject you could think of. The problem is, a good number of those books never circulate! Even before the Internet became a big deal, a large percentage of our books were there "just in case" someone needed a book from the 60s on space travel in the future. But nowadays, that kind of hokey future-telling history can be found on any number of websites. The same is true with exercise and dieting books. What was relevant then may be pretty useless now, and all that information can be found quickly on the web anyways! So why do we have them? Libraries spend tons of money maintaining "just in case" collections and the buildings and real estate to house them, when perhaps they should be looking at how to better use available resources on more important and relevant materials.
He also goes on to discuss ease of use and ease of access to materials and resources. Two icebergs that probably would be better described as one iceberg linked beneath the water, where we can't see. Thats because these two topics go hand-in-hand. Ease of use is pretty pointless when there's nothing to use! And easy of access is equally unimportant when the available information can only be retrieved by a decryption specialist! As technology advances at an ever-increasing rate, libraries must begin to away from the idea that a library is a building that patrons come to, and instead that its a location patrons visit both physically, and electronicly. Free and equal access should include the ability to freely and equally access materials from home, from across the country, or even around the world. KCLS has done a great job at adopting Electronic Resources and Databases to help move towards that goal, that our patrons can access information from home as easily as they can here in one of our libraries.
The next two articles, written by Chip Nilges and John Riemer respectively, speak of interoperation between library systems and institutions. Or, in relation to Web 2.0, how libraries can become a part of Library 2.0 on a broad scale. Library 2.0 isn't just about giving your local patrons their own version of YouTube or LibraryThing, its also about sharing content with other systems to help refine shared information. By integrating shared data like tags and related resources, we give patrons more access to the materials and information they're looking for. One idea mentioned is to integrate many of the ways sites like Amazon.com function, by providing feedback opportunities and purchasing options, and linking or providing professional reviews from things like the New York Times Review of Books, or Publishers Weekly. Chip Nilges, VP for OCLC, speaks of many of the technologies that the OCLC have been working on. Almost all of these ideas help promote Library 2.0 by providing ways for individual systems and institutions to consistantly offer the same results as another location has. Open WorldCat is becoming something like a central catalog for the worlds libraries. This is perhaps Library 2.0 on as large a scale as possible, and I think it sounds like an amazing achievement.
Finally, futurist Wendy Schultz's essay discusses where libraries will go after Library 2.0. She takes ideas discussed in the previous essays and extends them out well into the future. Much of it sounds like its straight out of Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth saga, with Virtual and Augmented reality enhancing how libraries already function. Where resources stop being something you simply read, but instead become something to interact with. Not just information presented to you however the author intended, but information that acts as its own guide through the facts and opinions presented. Even the definition of libraries change, as user-created content expands beyond blogs and video sites, and into browsable experiences! Its all a long way off, but I for one certainly look forward to it all!
Don't get me wrong, its not that I think libraries should shun their users and create content only for themselves. Quite the opposite, in fact! I think libraries have been doing this for years! And all Library 2.0 is is a buzz-word created by library administrations around the world to use at the latest ALA conference.
Today's assignment was to read 3 to 5 of the mini-essays on Library 2.0 published on the OCLC website. And while I haven't quite finished reading through them, I already feel the need to react to them. I start, quite illogically, with essay #2 by Michael Stephens: Into a new world of Librarianship. With his trendy Macbook Pro, pulled-back long hair, and a panchant for buzz-words, Michael Stephens comes across more as a Blogger that happens to be a librarian, rather than a Librarian that blogs. He starts by telling us, in essence, that Library 2.0 libraries should cater to their users. Providing resources for patrons. Next, he'll be suggesting we should be open on occasion! Seriously, did we need an essay telling us libraries should cater to patrons? Isn't that kind of a "no duh" statement?
I did find part of his essay particularly amusing, however.
This librarian does not buy technology for the sake of technology. “Techno-worship” does not exist here. Without a firm foundation in the mission and goals of the institution, new technologies are not implemented for the sake of coolness and status. Technology is put to the test: Does it meet the users need in a new or improved way? Does it create a useful service for putting users together with the information and experience they seek? These are some of the questions this librarian asks when planning for technology. This librarian creates and nurtures a living, breathing technology plan.
Notice to our Director: Technolust is bad! Even the stupid blogger knows!
But enough about the long-haired hippy. Essay #1 is by Rick Anderson, Director of Resource Acquisitions for the University of Nevada, Reno libraries. His essay is something of a warning to the libraries still living in a 1.0 world, and actually I found his ideas pretty spot-on! He describes 3 "icebergs" that libraries need to begin watching out for, to help keep them relevant and afloat. The first iceberg is the idea of "just in case" collections. And actually, the Bellevue library is a perfect example of this! Spread across 3 floors, the Bellevue library has thousands of books, on any and every subject you could think of. The problem is, a good number of those books never circulate! Even before the Internet became a big deal, a large percentage of our books were there "just in case" someone needed a book from the 60s on space travel in the future. But nowadays, that kind of hokey future-telling history can be found on any number of websites. The same is true with exercise and dieting books. What was relevant then may be pretty useless now, and all that information can be found quickly on the web anyways! So why do we have them? Libraries spend tons of money maintaining "just in case" collections and the buildings and real estate to house them, when perhaps they should be looking at how to better use available resources on more important and relevant materials.
He also goes on to discuss ease of use and ease of access to materials and resources. Two icebergs that probably would be better described as one iceberg linked beneath the water, where we can't see. Thats because these two topics go hand-in-hand. Ease of use is pretty pointless when there's nothing to use! And easy of access is equally unimportant when the available information can only be retrieved by a decryption specialist! As technology advances at an ever-increasing rate, libraries must begin to away from the idea that a library is a building that patrons come to, and instead that its a location patrons visit both physically, and electronicly. Free and equal access should include the ability to freely and equally access materials from home, from across the country, or even around the world. KCLS has done a great job at adopting Electronic Resources and Databases to help move towards that goal, that our patrons can access information from home as easily as they can here in one of our libraries.
The next two articles, written by Chip Nilges and John Riemer respectively, speak of interoperation between library systems and institutions. Or, in relation to Web 2.0, how libraries can become a part of Library 2.0 on a broad scale. Library 2.0 isn't just about giving your local patrons their own version of YouTube or LibraryThing, its also about sharing content with other systems to help refine shared information. By integrating shared data like tags and related resources, we give patrons more access to the materials and information they're looking for. One idea mentioned is to integrate many of the ways sites like Amazon.com function, by providing feedback opportunities and purchasing options, and linking or providing professional reviews from things like the New York Times Review of Books, or Publishers Weekly. Chip Nilges, VP for OCLC, speaks of many of the technologies that the OCLC have been working on. Almost all of these ideas help promote Library 2.0 by providing ways for individual systems and institutions to consistantly offer the same results as another location has. Open WorldCat is becoming something like a central catalog for the worlds libraries. This is perhaps Library 2.0 on as large a scale as possible, and I think it sounds like an amazing achievement.
Finally, futurist Wendy Schultz's essay discusses where libraries will go after Library 2.0. She takes ideas discussed in the previous essays and extends them out well into the future. Much of it sounds like its straight out of Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth saga, with Virtual and Augmented reality enhancing how libraries already function. Where resources stop being something you simply read, but instead become something to interact with. Not just information presented to you however the author intended, but information that acts as its own guide through the facts and opinions presented. Even the definition of libraries change, as user-created content expands beyond blogs and video sites, and into browsable experiences! Its all a long way off, but I for one certainly look forward to it all!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Chapter 15: In Which the Pirates try some Custom Searches
After a week away, I'm happy to say we're back!
This week doesn't have much of a theme. Instead, its a bit of this and that all tossed together. So today, we're learning about Custom Search Engines.
Search Engines have been around for a very long time. Sites like Yahoo, Alta Vista, and Webcrawler were how you got around the internet back in the day! But times change, and so does the internet. Its gotten much bigger, much more popular, and thus... much harder to search. Whereas before, a search for Pirates would get you a few Geocities sites, a historical accounting of the life of Blackbeard, and a website or two offering up downloads of Windows for Workgroups and the latest Kings Quest game, now you get 59 million hits! And thats with Safe Search keeping all the porn out of your search results!
Thankfully, with age and growth comes refinement. In this case, in the form of Customizable Search engines. For mine, I went with Google Co-op, both because I like Google's layout, and because the boys from California can do no wrong, in my opinion. So, I was done with step one: pick a custom search engine... uh, engine. Now for the hard part: What the heck do I want to search?!
Actually, it only took me a few minutes before it became pretty obvious. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I read lots of gaming and tech websites. I like to keep up-to-date on the latest gadgetry to make my water faucet change colors or hold on to things without an extra hand. So I set up a search engine for searching gaming and gadget websites!
Introducing Games & Gizmos!
I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well I can search several websites at once for information on a particular product or concept, instead of having to use the search tools for each individual site (which, often times, are pretty terrible). I can easily see how useful this would be for libraries. Setting up several topic-specific search engines, it would enable both patrons and staff alike to search for information on topics of interest within some general criteria, instead of being innundated with results from all over the web! Limit searches by material-type, like Newspaper archieves or Geneology sites. For an individual, I'm not sure the trouble of setting up these Custom Searches are worth the results, but for a large user-base like a library system, Custom Search engines could spell the difference between an overly complicated website and a user-friendly one.
This week doesn't have much of a theme. Instead, its a bit of this and that all tossed together. So today, we're learning about Custom Search Engines.
Search Engines have been around for a very long time. Sites like Yahoo, Alta Vista, and Webcrawler were how you got around the internet back in the day! But times change, and so does the internet. Its gotten much bigger, much more popular, and thus... much harder to search. Whereas before, a search for Pirates would get you a few Geocities sites, a historical accounting of the life of Blackbeard, and a website or two offering up downloads of Windows for Workgroups and the latest Kings Quest game, now you get 59 million hits! And thats with Safe Search keeping all the porn out of your search results!
Thankfully, with age and growth comes refinement. In this case, in the form of Customizable Search engines. For mine, I went with Google Co-op, both because I like Google's layout, and because the boys from California can do no wrong, in my opinion. So, I was done with step one: pick a custom search engine... uh, engine. Now for the hard part: What the heck do I want to search?!
Actually, it only took me a few minutes before it became pretty obvious. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I read lots of gaming and tech websites. I like to keep up-to-date on the latest gadgetry to make my water faucet change colors or hold on to things without an extra hand. So I set up a search engine for searching gaming and gadget websites!
Introducing Games & Gizmos!
I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well I can search several websites at once for information on a particular product or concept, instead of having to use the search tools for each individual site (which, often times, are pretty terrible). I can easily see how useful this would be for libraries. Setting up several topic-specific search engines, it would enable both patrons and staff alike to search for information on topics of interest within some general criteria, instead of being innundated with results from all over the web! Limit searches by material-type, like Newspaper archieves or Geneology sites. For an individual, I'm not sure the trouble of setting up these Custom Searches are worth the results, but for a large user-base like a library system, Custom Search engines could spell the difference between an overly complicated website and a user-friendly one.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Chapter 14: In which the Pirates read some guy's blog
Great title, I know. But it actually is relevant!
Slow night here at Bellevue, so I was reading through some of the old Comments on the KCLS 27 Things blog, and stumbled across a rather cool coincidence, of sorts!
During Week 6, we explored Technorati and LibraryThing, two Social Networking sites that use Tagging. Many Learning 2.0 folks signed up for Technorati and made Learning 2.0 a hot topic on the Popular page. This also means Learning 2.0 and kcls27things started showing up on other peoples sites as related topics! And wouldn't ya know, we attracted the attention of a popular blogger!
Learning 2.0 and the KCLS 27 Things project
Certainly a nice article that makes mention of us, and shows how our 27 Things project isn't just useful for library employees, but for many people out there who don't know much about Web 2.0! How about that?
Now here's the nifty part: If you read the blog post, he makes mention of aNobii in relation to LibraryThing. It turns out aNobii is a cataloging site for personal libraries as well. And based on my brief exploration of their site, I think I like it better than LibraryThing! The interface seems a touch cleaner, the Tagging and Social Networking seems more intuitive, and there seems to be fewer extraneous entries for the same title. Granted, they don't have the :CueCat, but I'm not sure thats enough of a feature to win the battle for LibraryThing, at least not for me.
Both are free, so check them both out and discover for yourself which you like better!
Slow night here at Bellevue, so I was reading through some of the old Comments on the KCLS 27 Things blog, and stumbled across a rather cool coincidence, of sorts!
During Week 6, we explored Technorati and LibraryThing, two Social Networking sites that use Tagging. Many Learning 2.0 folks signed up for Technorati and made Learning 2.0 a hot topic on the Popular page. This also means Learning 2.0 and kcls27things started showing up on other peoples sites as related topics! And wouldn't ya know, we attracted the attention of a popular blogger!
Learning 2.0 and the KCLS 27 Things project
Certainly a nice article that makes mention of us, and shows how our 27 Things project isn't just useful for library employees, but for many people out there who don't know much about Web 2.0! How about that?
Now here's the nifty part: If you read the blog post, he makes mention of aNobii in relation to LibraryThing. It turns out aNobii is a cataloging site for personal libraries as well. And based on my brief exploration of their site, I think I like it better than LibraryThing! The interface seems a touch cleaner, the Tagging and Social Networking seems more intuitive, and there seems to be fewer extraneous entries for the same title. Granted, they don't have the :CueCat, but I'm not sure thats enough of a feature to win the battle for LibraryThing, at least not for me.
Both are free, so check them both out and discover for yourself which you like better!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Chapter 13: In which the Pirates generate things!
This week's only assignment is to fiddle random generators. Which is really just an excuse to have a nice break in the middle of the project, and give everyone a chance to catch up. Me, I'm caught up. So I spent some (way too much, if I'm honest) time browsing all the generators on the list provided, and had a hard time coming up with anything I was at all interested in! I mean, you wouldn't BELIEVE how hard it is to find decent pirate imagery in these generators! Warning Sign Generator? No pirates! Avatar generator? No pirates! Mandelbrot Fractal Generator? NO FRICKIN PIRATES!
Well, as is obvious by the beginning of my post, I found me some pirate imagery. I was even amused to find the same site had some great logos like Admiral Akbar, Guy Fawkes, Mister T, and even that Sparta guy!
Monday, April 2, 2007
Chapter 12: In which the Pirates browse some Wikis!
To be honest, I read through all the Wiki stuff posted, and then when we got to the Exercise section, I blanked. I couldn't think of anything to say! Yes I can see how wikis would be great for libraries, both staff and patrons alike, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly why!
To be honest, its in part because I keep thinking of WoW Wiki, a Wiki for World of Warcraft and how useful it is, and struggle translating its application to libraries. A Wiki that describes dungeon strategies, quest and item details, and more about a fictional world? What an awesome idea! But a Wiki for your local library? Ummm... good idea?
So. I'm going to cheat. For today's exercise, I refer you to a KCLS Blogger who really hit the nail on the head:
The Amazing Knitting Kitty
If you're like me, and you needed convincing as to why Wikis would benefit library systems, read her post!
To be honest, its in part because I keep thinking of WoW Wiki, a Wiki for World of Warcraft and how useful it is, and struggle translating its application to libraries. A Wiki that describes dungeon strategies, quest and item details, and more about a fictional world? What an awesome idea! But a Wiki for your local library? Ummm... good idea?
So. I'm going to cheat. For today's exercise, I refer you to a KCLS Blogger who really hit the nail on the head:
The Amazing Knitting Kitty
If you're like me, and you needed convincing as to why Wikis would benefit library systems, read her post!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Chapter 11: In which the Pirates visit the Library(thing)
The final lesson this week took us to LibraryThing, a site where anyone can create a catalog of their personal library. Much like DVD Aficionado, LibraryThing can get pretty exact. Own a first edition of the Lord of the Rings? Or perhaps the edition of Enders Game containing a deleted chapter where Ender and Bean let some pigs loose in the school?* You can tell LibraryThing you own that that edition and brag to your friends!
I only added 6 titles to my catalog for now, and I've got plenty more at home to do. One thing I do recommend though, especially if you're a stickler for accuracy: search by ISBN. This way you can make sure you've got the right publisher, the right edition, and the right cover. Sounds like a lot of work though, huh? I mean, I've got somewhere between 100-200 books on my shelves, including lots of books that have been released and re-released countless times! That's a lot of ISBNs!
This is where LibraryThing goes from great to SUPERAWESOMENIFTYKEEN!
Cue the... errr... :CueCat! This awesome little barcode scanner, coupled with LibraryThing, makes entering in your entire library easier than Tote Checkin (no pesky exceptions). For just $15, you can buy a :CueCat from LibraryThing, plug it into your USB port at home, and start scanning like there's no (shipment) tomorrow. How awesome is that?!
If only the cat at home could enter ISBNs for me. Sadly, mostly he just sleeps and begs for food.
*Edit*
While I read a lot, that doesn't mean I read well. I completely skipped one of the most important things!
A very piratey library collection
I only added 6 titles to my catalog for now, and I've got plenty more at home to do. One thing I do recommend though, especially if you're a stickler for accuracy: search by ISBN. This way you can make sure you've got the right publisher, the right edition, and the right cover. Sounds like a lot of work though, huh? I mean, I've got somewhere between 100-200 books on my shelves, including lots of books that have been released and re-released countless times! That's a lot of ISBNs!
This is where LibraryThing goes from great to SUPERAWESOMENIFTYKEEN!
Cue the... errr... :CueCat! This awesome little barcode scanner, coupled with LibraryThing, makes entering in your entire library easier than Tote Checkin (no pesky exceptions). For just $15, you can buy a :CueCat from LibraryThing, plug it into your USB port at home, and start scanning like there's no (shipment) tomorrow. How awesome is that?!
If only the cat at home could enter ISBNs for me. Sadly, mostly he just sleeps and begs for food.
*Edit*
While I read a lot, that doesn't mean I read well. I completely skipped one of the most important things!
A very piratey library collection
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Chapter 10: In which the Pirates explore Social Bookmarking
Exercise #12 is here and its all about Social Bookmarking. And more to the point, its about the website del.icio.us. This website is all about saving your bookmarks, tagging them, and how those tags can help you and others find other sites related to your bookmarks.
Right away I found some interesting stuff by following tags. Beginning with the KCLS 27 Things del.iciou.us page, I clicked on the Cookbook tag, which linked to a useful tutorial on how to use del.icio.us as a virtual cookbook. An interesting read, but not particularly useful for someone who doesn't have to try very hard to burn water. So I browsed the related tags and decided to check out the Tools tag. That, I can tell you, is a very broad tag. So I narrowed it down a bit, and clicked the Windows tag. And, because I'm running Windows Vista at home, I followed one more link and used the Vista tag. Here I found links on "things you didn't know about Vista", and "how to dual boot XP and Vista". Now thems some good readins!
Obviously, this is a fairly Me-oriented experience, but its a great example of how del.icio.us can help people browse all sorts of information! Beginning with a vague topic of interest, perhaps for your next thesis paper, you can follow related tags from other users and find some interesting sites with ease! There are tons of boring sites on the internet, but with del.icio.us you will have an easier time finding the more interesting ones!
Right away I found some interesting stuff by following tags. Beginning with the KCLS 27 Things del.iciou.us page, I clicked on the Cookbook tag, which linked to a useful tutorial on how to use del.icio.us as a virtual cookbook. An interesting read, but not particularly useful for someone who doesn't have to try very hard to burn water. So I browsed the related tags and decided to check out the Tools tag. That, I can tell you, is a very broad tag. So I narrowed it down a bit, and clicked the Windows tag. And, because I'm running Windows Vista at home, I followed one more link and used the Vista tag. Here I found links on "things you didn't know about Vista", and "how to dual boot XP and Vista". Now thems some good readins!
Obviously, this is a fairly Me-oriented experience, but its a great example of how del.icio.us can help people browse all sorts of information! Beginning with a vague topic of interest, perhaps for your next thesis paper, you can follow related tags from other users and find some interesting sites with ease! There are tons of boring sites on the internet, but with del.icio.us you will have an easier time finding the more interesting ones!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Chapter 9: In which the Pirates struggle with MySpace E-mail Verification
A note about last week's final assignment.
We were instructed to Friend the KCLS 27 Things MySpace account. Unfortunately, I have yet to do that successfully, since MySpace pretty much refuses to verify my e-mail address. I've clicked the Verification link (1)while logged in to MySpace; (2)logged out of MySpace; (3)after logging out of MySpace and closing all IE windows; and (4)after logging out of MySpace and copy/pasting the link from the e-mail as opposed to clicking it.
The end result: I still have yet to successfully verify my e-mail address. Until this gets resolved, that final step isn't "complete" but having tried repeatedly, I listed it as complete on my Progress Log.
In case the Library Mafia tries to apprehend me for lying on my Progress Log, be aware Pirates are the fiercest warriors around! Even ninja's tread lightly around peg-legs and eyepatches!
We were instructed to Friend the KCLS 27 Things MySpace account. Unfortunately, I have yet to do that successfully, since MySpace pretty much refuses to verify my e-mail address. I've clicked the Verification link (1)while logged in to MySpace; (2)logged out of MySpace; (3)after logging out of MySpace and closing all IE windows; and (4)after logging out of MySpace and copy/pasting the link from the e-mail as opposed to clicking it.
The end result: I still have yet to successfully verify my e-mail address. Until this gets resolved, that final step isn't "complete" but having tried repeatedly, I listed it as complete on my Progress Log.
In case the Library Mafia tries to apprehend me for lying on my Progress Log, be aware Pirates are the fiercest warriors around! Even ninja's tread lightly around peg-legs and eyepatches!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Chapter 8: In which the Pirates discover Social Networking
Early to post, early to assist others, I always say.
(OK not really)
This (coming) week, we begin our lessons on Social Networking. For the most part, this can be summed up in one(ish) word: MySpace.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of other Social Networking sites out there. FaceBook for example. Even "online dating" sites like OK Cupid could be considered a social networking site. They all have to do with sharing yourself and your interests with other users and relating to eachother through shared interests.
MySpace is different though, in that its not just for individuals. Its for people, groups, bands, businesses, and probably even an animal or two! Movie studios are using MySpace to help promote upcoming movies. Bands use it for sharing their music, giving them free exposure. And, as relates to us, libraries are using social networking sites to connect with their patrons. Especially those hard-to-get Teens.
Ordinarily, I'd have been pretty adverse to this idea. What person in their right mind would visit a site like MySpace, filled with millions of teens and 20-somethings incessantly flirting with eachother, to check out whats going on at their local library?! Seems pretty silly to me! However, in reading some of the articles posted for this lesson, I was surprised to find out this seems to more popular than I ever would have imagined! Despite all appearances, many teens really do use MySpace as a social "hub"; both a place to interact with friends, and find things to do in their community!
That doesn't mean every library system in the country should jump on MySpace and create an account. To pull off a successful MySpace page requires someone who knows what they're doing. A teen librarian who isn't just there for a paycheck, but really does connect with teens and knows whats going on in the community. One that can extend that connection onto a website. But given the right people for the job, I'm now convinced social networking and libraries really could mix well!
(OK not really)
This (coming) week, we begin our lessons on Social Networking. For the most part, this can be summed up in one(ish) word: MySpace.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of other Social Networking sites out there. FaceBook for example. Even "online dating" sites like OK Cupid could be considered a social networking site. They all have to do with sharing yourself and your interests with other users and relating to eachother through shared interests.
MySpace is different though, in that its not just for individuals. Its for people, groups, bands, businesses, and probably even an animal or two! Movie studios are using MySpace to help promote upcoming movies. Bands use it for sharing their music, giving them free exposure. And, as relates to us, libraries are using social networking sites to connect with their patrons. Especially those hard-to-get Teens.
Ordinarily, I'd have been pretty adverse to this idea. What person in their right mind would visit a site like MySpace, filled with millions of teens and 20-somethings incessantly flirting with eachother, to check out whats going on at their local library?! Seems pretty silly to me! However, in reading some of the articles posted for this lesson, I was surprised to find out this seems to more popular than I ever would have imagined! Despite all appearances, many teens really do use MySpace as a social "hub"; both a place to interact with friends, and find things to do in their community!
That doesn't mean every library system in the country should jump on MySpace and create an account. To pull off a successful MySpace page requires someone who knows what they're doing. A teen librarian who isn't just there for a paycheck, but really does connect with teens and knows whats going on in the community. One that can extend that connection onto a website. But given the right people for the job, I'm now convinced social networking and libraries really could mix well!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Chapter 7: In Which the Flying Spaghetti Monster blesses his People
Getting away from the recent negativity, I found this on last week's Site du jour, Flickr. This needs to be made into a shirt.
Chapter 6: In which the Pirates blunder through more RSS feeds
Wow, two negative(ish) posts in a row! I feel like such a sour-puss!
The more I use Bloglines and browse through RSS feeds, the less I understand their point. So far the only valid reason I've found to use RSS feeds are on mobile phones and the like. My PSP can load websites without too much difficulty, but often times on larger sites runs out of memory. The same is true with mobile phones, often times they have a hard time displaying an entire website without choking. RSS feeds solve this by reducing the amount of memory-heavy content like ads and images. But for your average user, whats wrong with just browsing the website?
Anyways, on to Exercise #8!
My first task was to use one of the provided RSS search tools to add two more feeds to my Bloglines account. Using Syndic8, I was able to locate feeds for Woot.com and Slickdeals.net, however I ended up having to search for their specific name (instead of web deals, deals, etc.) in order to find them. If you're looking for a very general topic, I don't think Syndic8 is the best way to go, because there are so many feeds it can list for any search you may think of. For my part, I would say it is much quicker to find the RSS feeds through your favorite websites, instead of using a search tool to locate them.
I also tried using Feedster and Topix.net to search for two Library-related feeds, and found both inadequate for the job. Without spending too much time on either one, I felt there wasn't a good way right off the bat to narrow your searches. A simple search for libraries located the word libraries in just about every feed imaginable. Any time any article, blog, or website mentioned the word libraries, it caught it and submitted it as a result.
Perhaps I'm just an old fuddy-duddy who yerns for the days of HTML-based Geocities websites with MIDI music in the background, spinning skulls and blinking lights all over the site, and a background that stays put while content scrolls over it. This RSS stuff is too new-fangled for my tastes!
The more I use Bloglines and browse through RSS feeds, the less I understand their point. So far the only valid reason I've found to use RSS feeds are on mobile phones and the like. My PSP can load websites without too much difficulty, but often times on larger sites runs out of memory. The same is true with mobile phones, often times they have a hard time displaying an entire website without choking. RSS feeds solve this by reducing the amount of memory-heavy content like ads and images. But for your average user, whats wrong with just browsing the website?
Anyways, on to Exercise #8!
My first task was to use one of the provided RSS search tools to add two more feeds to my Bloglines account. Using Syndic8, I was able to locate feeds for Woot.com and Slickdeals.net, however I ended up having to search for their specific name (instead of web deals, deals, etc.) in order to find them. If you're looking for a very general topic, I don't think Syndic8 is the best way to go, because there are so many feeds it can list for any search you may think of. For my part, I would say it is much quicker to find the RSS feeds through your favorite websites, instead of using a search tool to locate them.
I also tried using Feedster and Topix.net to search for two Library-related feeds, and found both inadequate for the job. Without spending too much time on either one, I felt there wasn't a good way right off the bat to narrow your searches. A simple search for libraries located the word libraries in just about every feed imaginable. Any time any article, blog, or website mentioned the word libraries, it caught it and submitted it as a result.
Perhaps I'm just an old fuddy-duddy who yerns for the days of HTML-based Geocities websites with MIDI music in the background, spinning skulls and blinking lights all over the site, and a background that stays put while content scrolls over it. This RSS stuff is too new-fangled for my tastes!
Friday, March 9, 2007
Chapter 5: In which the Pirates discover RSS feeds!
I hate to come across as negative, but WOW! This lesson is well beyond anything we've done so far, and in my opinion, beyond what your average computer user will be able to handle. I've been using computers since I was 8, I have my A+ certification (useless, I know), and am a constant internet junkie, and even I was pretty lost at several points! Whats more, asking staff to sign up for seven RSS feeds is asking a lot!
Anyways, to the matter at hand: Blogging about RSS feeds!
What do you like about RSS and newsreaders? To be honest, nothing. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I fail to see the point of RSS feeds! If I want to read what Gizmodo has posted today, I check their website! If I'm curious if my room-mate has posted anything on his blog, I check his blog! And if I need up-to-the-minute news, I turn on a TV or the radio. The way RSS has a brief 'intro' to news items is pretty irrelevant as well, since most websites do that on their own. So does it all come down to the lack of ads? Are they really so bothersome for so many people that they had to create a whole new way of viewing news on the web to get around them? And how long do they expect RSS to remain ad-free? Not long, if you ask me.
How can librarie suse RSS or take advantage of this new technology? Often, when the library system is having a big event, it is posted about on our website. But if the event isn't big enough to warrant a front-page post, you have to know where to look for upcoming Events to see if anything new has been added since last you looked. An RSS feed for upcoming events could simplify the way many library patrons are notified about events, both big and small, without forcing them to navigate a website that isn't always the most friendly.
Laurel Steiner thanks the Advocates for tackling one of the (if not THE) most difficult lessons. To the Advocates out there, be warned... this one is a doozie!
Anyways, to the matter at hand: Blogging about RSS feeds!
What do you like about RSS and newsreaders? To be honest, nothing. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I fail to see the point of RSS feeds! If I want to read what Gizmodo has posted today, I check their website! If I'm curious if my room-mate has posted anything on his blog, I check his blog! And if I need up-to-the-minute news, I turn on a TV or the radio. The way RSS has a brief 'intro' to news items is pretty irrelevant as well, since most websites do that on their own. So does it all come down to the lack of ads? Are they really so bothersome for so many people that they had to create a whole new way of viewing news on the web to get around them? And how long do they expect RSS to remain ad-free? Not long, if you ask me.
How can librarie suse RSS or take advantage of this new technology? Often, when the library system is having a big event, it is posted about on our website. But if the event isn't big enough to warrant a front-page post, you have to know where to look for upcoming Events to see if anything new has been added since last you looked. An RSS feed for upcoming events could simplify the way many library patrons are notified about events, both big and small, without forcing them to navigate a website that isn't always the most friendly.
Laurel Steiner thanks the Advocates for tackling one of the (if not THE) most difficult lessons. To the Advocates out there, be warned... this one is a doozie!
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Chapter 4: In which the Pirates rage against the machine!
For as long as I can remember, there's always been a group of computer users who hate Microsoft, usually for no real reason. They feel Microsoft is somehow an evil corporation, and while they can't explain that feeling, they make sure everyone knows how they feel. Most recently, this means having nothing to do with Internet Explorer, and instead joining one of the mobs that flock to replacements such as Firefox and Opera. Semi-adequate browsers whose popularity seems to be based mostly on the fact that they're not Internet Explorer.
How does this relate to Learning 2.0? Well for today's lesson, we were supposed to browse some of the Flickr mashups. Honestly, I found this hard to do, as most of the websites don't offer summaries of what each mashup does on the main list. Instead, you'd have to click each link individually, read the description, then go back to the main list. Luckily, I found the mashup I was most interested in pretty quickly. Its called Flock.
Flock is a Browser based on the Mozilla engine that makes it easier for Image Sharers, such as Flickr users, to manage and upload their photographs. Without being able to download it here at work, I can't say how good or bad the browser is, but I was quite impressed that someone took the time to recode a browser for Flickr users. This, to me, shows the power such a community can have on the Online community as a whole. These types of mashups and programs give bigger companies like Microsoft hints as to what its users want to see in a browser! Perhaps Flock contains features we may see in a future version of Internet Explorer, or Firefox!
How does this relate to Learning 2.0? Well for today's lesson, we were supposed to browse some of the Flickr mashups. Honestly, I found this hard to do, as most of the websites don't offer summaries of what each mashup does on the main list. Instead, you'd have to click each link individually, read the description, then go back to the main list. Luckily, I found the mashup I was most interested in pretty quickly. Its called Flock.
Flock is a Browser based on the Mozilla engine that makes it easier for Image Sharers, such as Flickr users, to manage and upload their photographs. Without being able to download it here at work, I can't say how good or bad the browser is, but I was quite impressed that someone took the time to recode a browser for Flickr users. This, to me, shows the power such a community can have on the Online community as a whole. These types of mashups and programs give bigger companies like Microsoft hints as to what its users want to see in a browser! Perhaps Flock contains features we may see in a future version of Internet Explorer, or Firefox!
Monday, March 5, 2007
Chapter 3: In which the Pirates play with Legos
Taking a quick break from Learning 2.0, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is some of the greatest news in computer gaming history:
Lego MMORPG coming soon!
Its almost guaranteed that anyone born from the 50s onward have used Legos. And its also safe to say they all still have a love for the colorful blocks. This is especially true for people around my age or younger, who were given some of the great Lego expansions, like the Castles and Pirates sets. And with the success of Lego games like "Star Wars", its hard to imagine anyone out there would be against creating a persistant Lego world where players could build just about anything!
For my part, even if Lego imposes lots rules and regulations to keep children safe from the dangers of the Online Community (as if any kid playing a Lego MMO doesn't already know), I would be all over this! Its the Hello Kitty! MMORPG for the Toy Elite!
Lego MMORPG coming soon!
Its almost guaranteed that anyone born from the 50s onward have used Legos. And its also safe to say they all still have a love for the colorful blocks. This is especially true for people around my age or younger, who were given some of the great Lego expansions, like the Castles and Pirates sets. And with the success of Lego games like "Star Wars", its hard to imagine anyone out there would be against creating a persistant Lego world where players could build just about anything!
For my part, even if Lego imposes lots rules and regulations to keep children safe from the dangers of the Online Community (as if any kid playing a Lego MMO doesn't already know), I would be all over this! Its the Hello Kitty! MMORPG for the Toy Elite!
Friday, March 2, 2007
Chapter 2: In which the Pirates discover Flickr!
Learning 2.0 has sent the Pirates into the unknown wilds of Flickr this week, and it didn't take long before His Noodliness appeared! That the Great Noodle appears on Flickr suggests clear paths and much treasure ahead.
Now if only I could find some hams...
Now if only I could find some hams...
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