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.
Monday, April 16, 2007
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!
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