I have thorougholy enjoyed the 23 Things experience. While I already had some prior experience using web 2.0 apps, I have also learned a lot, in particular podcasting, flickr and the useful applications of google books, not to mention having a lot of fun along the way, with online image generators, as well as youtube videos (Summer lovin', had me some fu-un!!)
I liked the simple format of this course- it was very user-friendly, and I like that it was self-paced. As I was lucky enough to get into the pilot course, I think that it would be advantageous to keep this course going, and have it open to all members of staff. I have members of staff who would like to put 23 Things on their PM&Ds!!! In addition, as it looks like the library will be increasingly utilising web 2.0 apps for the provision of services eg starting a Usyd library facebook page, podcasting, libguides and making virtual librarian services available, it would be wise to have this professional development available as a training option.
What I didn't like about the course: it was too difficult to conduct a conversation! Is there any other way that we could keep a similar format but have a single unified platform that supports rpofessional dialogue and collaboration? At the moment, the onus is on us to check out every other person's blog and comment, which is only a two-way conversation, rather than ten-way or whatever. If 23 Things continues, it would be good to set up a blog that has everyone in the course with contributer rights, as I know you can do.
I am really going to miss exploring the web 2.0 world, but I mean to keep up with it. I am really interested in web 2.0 and its application to academic and public libraries, so this may well be a topic for further research if I decide to take the library degree to masters level! Regardless, I am keen to keep abreast of any new library developments in this field, so if you come across any interesting journal articles, lob them this way, if you don't mind!!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Other Web 2.0 things
1. Facebook
The one major web 2.0 thing that hasn't been covered is the ubiquitous facebook, otherwise known as fb for short, or stalkbook! A great way to keep tabs on your friends and family (and yes, I do know some Mums who have fbs to keep an eye on their kids who are my age!- My friends untag any pics of themselves at parties-eek!)
Anyway, this is one Web 2.0 application that the library may potentially be able to harness in the provision of a new wave of library services for the new generation of students coming to uni. There is already a libguide facebook application, and some universities have created applications which people put on their fb pages, where they can search their university library catalogue- for example: the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign- cool 'ey?
I have already emailed this to Reflibs, so apologies for cross-posting this information...
I think combining the library with social networking applicatons such as facebook may be a way that libraries can get with the times, and provide essential services to students. I imagine that the Ask-A-Librarian email service would get transferred to facebook, as students ask their questions on a gerneral Usyd library facebook page. I was also talking to Rebecca Meston about the upcoming facebook project for the library, and we think having a fb would be a good way to raise the library's profile and brush away it's nerdburger image for our new students!!
2. iGoogle
Another thing that I have already mentioned is the igoogle page. If you scroll down to one of my earliear posts, I have had a bit of a rave about it there. It's a really cool way to manage the stuff that you use all the time, by having specific gadgets on your igoogle page (eg: wikipedia, flickr, delicious, google reader, amongst other things)
3. GoodReads
Once again, sorry for cross posting this, but if you are an avid reader like myself, join GoodReads, which is a social book sharing site, similar to LibraryThing, except it's FREE!!!! If you get your mates to join, you can share books, book reviews and see what each other is reading. You can also join groups and have virtual bookclub sessions, which is all very cool.
4. Twitter
Ok, not too sure about how this web 2.0 application could be utilised in the library for information services to academic staff and students, but this is a really simple status updating tool. It's similar to the "what are you doing?" status updates on facebook. People post "tweets" or status updates of what they are doing. Some big organisations have already started using this as a way to disseminate information eg Barack Obama and his campaigners, Gordon Brown and No 10 Downing St staffers, John Cleese, as well as my favourite: Neil Gaiman (who tweets himself!! I am an avid follower, and I found out that he won the Newberry Medal via his very surprised tweet!)
This could potentially be a tool for library staffers and behind-the-scenes type info (eg bitesize tweets if you are attending a library conference for example).
5. Some way of tagging items in the catalogue and sending automatic updates of new resources
This was an idea that I came back with from the Infomration Online conference- the Premier's Cabinet in Queensland has started an RSS feed/blog situation, where staff are alerted to any new resources that are purchased for their use. It appears to be quite labour intensive, and probably only feasible for small specialist collections, but I think it has great possibilities. I would love to introduce this as an add-on service for the Nursing academics. Possibly, if we have them fill out a voluntary form of the top three subject headings from the catalogue that fall within their research/subject disciplines, in order to create a staff profile. Then, as new items are added, according to their staff profiles, we would alert them of these new items via RSS feed.
I think this would be a great web 2.0 application, as often our academics do not come in to browse the new titles, or don't know that a new edition of x, y,z has come out. This would have a four-fold effect:
a) provide an additional library service to our academics
b) increase circulation of resources
c) raise the profile of the library and alert academics to the fact that we purchase books for their use
d) act as a collection development tool (if lots of staff are interested in particular sunjects, and we don't have many resources or aren't getting any new resources in those areas, we can monitor and purchase more heavily in those areas.)
The one major web 2.0 thing that hasn't been covered is the ubiquitous facebook, otherwise known as fb for short, or stalkbook! A great way to keep tabs on your friends and family (and yes, I do know some Mums who have fbs to keep an eye on their kids who are my age!- My friends untag any pics of themselves at parties-eek!)
Anyway, this is one Web 2.0 application that the library may potentially be able to harness in the provision of a new wave of library services for the new generation of students coming to uni. There is already a libguide facebook application, and some universities have created applications which people put on their fb pages, where they can search their university library catalogue- for example: the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign- cool 'ey?
I have already emailed this to Reflibs, so apologies for cross-posting this information...
I think combining the library with social networking applicatons such as facebook may be a way that libraries can get with the times, and provide essential services to students. I imagine that the Ask-A-Librarian email service would get transferred to facebook, as students ask their questions on a gerneral Usyd library facebook page. I was also talking to Rebecca Meston about the upcoming facebook project for the library, and we think having a fb would be a good way to raise the library's profile and brush away it's nerdburger image for our new students!!
2. iGoogle
Another thing that I have already mentioned is the igoogle page. If you scroll down to one of my earliear posts, I have had a bit of a rave about it there. It's a really cool way to manage the stuff that you use all the time, by having specific gadgets on your igoogle page (eg: wikipedia, flickr, delicious, google reader, amongst other things)
3. GoodReads
Once again, sorry for cross posting this, but if you are an avid reader like myself, join GoodReads, which is a social book sharing site, similar to LibraryThing, except it's FREE!!!! If you get your mates to join, you can share books, book reviews and see what each other is reading. You can also join groups and have virtual bookclub sessions, which is all very cool.
4. Twitter
Ok, not too sure about how this web 2.0 application could be utilised in the library for information services to academic staff and students, but this is a really simple status updating tool. It's similar to the "what are you doing?" status updates on facebook. People post "tweets" or status updates of what they are doing. Some big organisations have already started using this as a way to disseminate information eg Barack Obama and his campaigners, Gordon Brown and No 10 Downing St staffers, John Cleese, as well as my favourite: Neil Gaiman (who tweets himself!! I am an avid follower, and I found out that he won the Newberry Medal via his very surprised tweet!)
This could potentially be a tool for library staffers and behind-the-scenes type info (eg bitesize tweets if you are attending a library conference for example).
5. Some way of tagging items in the catalogue and sending automatic updates of new resources
This was an idea that I came back with from the Infomration Online conference- the Premier's Cabinet in Queensland has started an RSS feed/blog situation, where staff are alerted to any new resources that are purchased for their use. It appears to be quite labour intensive, and probably only feasible for small specialist collections, but I think it has great possibilities. I would love to introduce this as an add-on service for the Nursing academics. Possibly, if we have them fill out a voluntary form of the top three subject headings from the catalogue that fall within their research/subject disciplines, in order to create a staff profile. Then, as new items are added, according to their staff profiles, we would alert them of these new items via RSS feed.
I think this would be a great web 2.0 application, as often our academics do not come in to browse the new titles, or don't know that a new edition of x, y,z has come out. This would have a four-fold effect:
a) provide an additional library service to our academics
b) increase circulation of resources
c) raise the profile of the library and alert academics to the fact that we purchase books for their use
d) act as a collection development tool (if lots of staff are interested in particular sunjects, and we don't have many resources or aren't getting any new resources in those areas, we can monitor and purchase more heavily in those areas.)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Google Books
I just tried a number of searches on Google books spanning Nursing reference works to children's books (Harry Potter- who else? And "Let's get a Pup!" by Bob Graham -one of my all time favourite children's books), as well as the last books that I read (the Belgariad series by David Eddings) and it was very interesting. It appears that non fiction or reference books have the contents page included, which would be very useful to library staff, who are responsible for ordering books. I will be using this feature to decide which books to order when ordering materials to develop the collection, which I wish I knew about before!! Another interesting feature was the "books that reference this book" feature, which would be handy for teachers who want units of work etc about particular books. An even better application of this would be a list of websites that referred to each item, which lo- I found does exist in google books, which is super handy.
Podcasting
Podcasts are quite cool aren't they? I had heard of them before, but didn't get around to exploring them, so thanks 23 Things for "forcing" me too!! (Oh poor us- these tasks that you set us are SO hard-not! haha!! Actually this is THE best homework ever- where else can you say that looking at Sesame Street youtube videos is a legit part of the work day?!?!? Can you imagine how motivated students would be if their homework consisted of playing with Web 2.0 applications?!?!?!!)
Anyway, my partner Nam, loves his English Premier League podcasts, which he dowloads and listens to weekly. My sister loves Hamish and Andy. I haven't yet found any that I like, but I just checked out the iTunes directory for podcasts, and there are hundreds available!!!
I think there are a number of ways the library could utilise this. Fisher library is already in the process of making a virtual tour of Fisher library available as a podcast, which is very cool (I did a voice test for Monica, but no word as yet, if I got a part!!!!!)
I wonder how else the library could utilise this? It brings up a few questions, that are actually relevant across this new way of using web 2.0 apps to provide library services eg: how would the library promote thses services? Would anyone use these services (ie: is it a bit too uncool for school to be seen as friends with the University of Sydney library on your fb page, or to be subscribing to regular library podcasts?)
Other questions: will it be too time-consuming for staff members to provide these services?
A podcast application would be for librarians in their subject disciplines talk about new features of Endnote or provide updates to databases etc, that people can listen to, while they use these programs at home, similiar to an online tutorial. OR, to increase the profile of the library, have librarians create podcasts of their favourite books, great resources etc etc. I think this service would be particulalry popular for our pre-service teachers, who have an interest in keeping abreast with good quality children's literature, or our speech pathologists and health workers who work with children or people with disabilities, whose professions require them to use books as a means of porviding care.
What about the other library disciplines? Any ideas?
Anyway, my partner Nam, loves his English Premier League podcasts, which he dowloads and listens to weekly. My sister loves Hamish and Andy. I haven't yet found any that I like, but I just checked out the iTunes directory for podcasts, and there are hundreds available!!!
I think there are a number of ways the library could utilise this. Fisher library is already in the process of making a virtual tour of Fisher library available as a podcast, which is very cool (I did a voice test for Monica, but no word as yet, if I got a part!!!!!)
I wonder how else the library could utilise this? It brings up a few questions, that are actually relevant across this new way of using web 2.0 apps to provide library services eg: how would the library promote thses services? Would anyone use these services (ie: is it a bit too uncool for school to be seen as friends with the University of Sydney library on your fb page, or to be subscribing to regular library podcasts?)
Other questions: will it be too time-consuming for staff members to provide these services?
A podcast application would be for librarians in their subject disciplines talk about new features of Endnote or provide updates to databases etc, that people can listen to, while they use these programs at home, similiar to an online tutorial. OR, to increase the profile of the library, have librarians create podcasts of their favourite books, great resources etc etc. I think this service would be particulalry popular for our pre-service teachers, who have an interest in keeping abreast with good quality children's literature, or our speech pathologists and health workers who work with children or people with disabilities, whose professions require them to use books as a means of porviding care.
What about the other library disciplines? Any ideas?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Grease- Summer Nights LEGO video!
hahahahaha!
This is very funny:
Make sure you keep watching, because the movie gets re-created right down to when Rizzo pushes Patty Simcox into the bin and the Thunderbirds dancing on the bleachers!!!
This is very funny:
Make sure you keep watching, because the movie gets re-created right down to when Rizzo pushes Patty Simcox into the bin and the Thunderbirds dancing on the bleachers!!!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Library 2.0: an "attitude" and not just about the technology
I had a look at the latest edition of the Australian Library Journal (thanks Kate!) and the first article was very interesting. It brought up some interesting points about issues that libraries have to consider when embarking on web 2.0 projects. For example: having disclaimers relating to third party content (especially relevant if we are linking to external sites, as is the case on our new libguides, using delicious etc), as well as some way of taking down any offensive or inappropriate material (this would be an issue if we enabled the comment function on our libguides). I say this because, when I was looking at some example libguides to put onto the Usyd Libguides Help Manual, there was one comment, I saw, that struck me as particularly inappropriate, and we need some way of being able to take down content without suppressing freedom of expression etc etc.
The author of the article (Byrne, 2008) suggested libraries need to tread carefully in these areas, especially with regards to breach of copyright, defamation or offensive material. Byrne also suggested that libraries could put up notices pertaining to the library's right to remove any material deemed inappropriate, as a solution to this problem. I have raised this issue with Jacki, and she thinks this may well be a matter to take to WSAG group, especially as it involves the need to cover the library's butt with regards to these legalities!
Anyway, having read this article, there were a lot of references to the LATN website (Libraries of Australian Technology Network of universities). Having checked it out, there were some interesting ideas on the site. In particular, the fact that:
The Librarian 2.0 is a:
Planner - involving library users
Embracer - of new services
Evaluator - redesigning for ease of use
Trendspotter - seeking out new trends
Gatherer - guided by how users access, consume and create content
I sourced this from the LATN Library 2.0 blog, who in turn sourced it from:
NextSpace No.2, 2006 http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/download/nextspace_002.pdf
I love how we can be viewed as embracers of technology and trendspotters. Why not make us iconoclasts while we're at it?!?!?!?
Other References
Byrne, A. (2008). Web 2.0 strategy in libraries and infomration services. The Australian Library Journal, 57(4), 365-376
The author of the article (Byrne, 2008) suggested libraries need to tread carefully in these areas, especially with regards to breach of copyright, defamation or offensive material. Byrne also suggested that libraries could put up notices pertaining to the library's right to remove any material deemed inappropriate, as a solution to this problem. I have raised this issue with Jacki, and she thinks this may well be a matter to take to WSAG group, especially as it involves the need to cover the library's butt with regards to these legalities!
Anyway, having read this article, there were a lot of references to the LATN website (Libraries of Australian Technology Network of universities). Having checked it out, there were some interesting ideas on the site. In particular, the fact that:
The Librarian 2.0 is a:
Planner - involving library users
Embracer - of new services
Evaluator - redesigning for ease of use
Trendspotter - seeking out new trends
Gatherer - guided by how users access, consume and create content
I sourced this from the LATN Library 2.0 blog, who in turn sourced it from:
NextSpace No.2, 2006 http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/download/nextspace_002.pdf
I love how we can be viewed as embracers of technology and trendspotters. Why not make us iconoclasts while we're at it?!?!?!?
Other References
Byrne, A. (2008). Web 2.0 strategy in libraries and infomration services. The Australian Library Journal, 57(4), 365-376
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wiki Wars!!!!! (lots of time-wasting fun!)
Has anyone played Wiki Wars before? It's a great game, where you play against others in a bid to navigate from a randomly generated page back to another random page that has been set as the master page, in the least number of clicks as possible.
Check out the rules here.
My boyfriend and I have played it, but he always wins, because he is a Wikipedia expert!!! (He knows all of the tips and tricks to link between seemingly random articles, like using the diambiguation function, or using the related links down the bottom).
Check out the rules here.
My boyfriend and I have played it, but he always wins, because he is a Wikipedia expert!!! (He knows all of the tips and tricks to link between seemingly random articles, like using the diambiguation function, or using the related links down the bottom).
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