You Tube

I've been watching a lot of You Tube lately and realizing that this media is an excellent resource for many topics. This particular video is entitled "Restoring Employee Engagement".  Until recently, I never would have thought to look on You Tube for information about employee engagement, because my un-informed  impression of You Tube was that it was purely for entertainment, containing virtually nothing of  true educational value.

Many of my blog posts have this similar theme - amazement at the  amount of information that is available through social media. If I was really ambitious, I would do a bit of research on this topic and post some insightful and useful information for anyone who happens to read this, but it is going on 10pm and it has been a very long day....

My Blog

Wendy's Venture into Social Media

Tagxedo

I did not have much success with "word clouds" during the semester, but recently came across the Tagxedo site. Either Tagxedo is much easier to use than the other sites I've tried, or I am getting a little more intuitive :).  The Tagxedo site has a gallery of word cloud examples. They are primarily the work of the site's creator, Hardy Leung, very creative and inspiring.

I created my first successful word cloud about a week ago on Tagxedo. It was a heart shape, using the content of this website (my blog). It took me a while to muddle through the process as I don't see any step-by-step instructions on the Tagxedo site and I am not all that intuitive!. I was so excited that I ordered a mouse pad with my design on it! I was able to upload my Tagxedo word cloud to Facebook to show it off.

Today, I revisted the Tagxedo site, hoping that I could successfully create another word cloud and learn a bit more about the functionality of this site. There are a variety of word cloud shapes already built into the site from which the user can select, but it seems you can also download your own shapes to create word clouds. I have not gotten that proficient yet! However, by using one of the shapes from the site, copying the Gettysburg Address from Wikipedia and pasting this into the creation page on Tagxedo, I was able to produce a word cloud that I am hoping to share here ... one way or another!

http://www.tagxedo.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address

Protopage

 

Several months ago, I set up a Protopage and have revisited it several times since, updating it a bit each time. Initially I liked the fact that I could customize the colors and found it very easy to organize the page by simply clicking and dragging the various windows.

As I got a little more familiar with the site, I was able to add my Twitter feed onto the site, as well as another feed for "employee engagement" postings. Today I was able to add in some other useful tools, a clock and a calendar onto which personal notes can be entered. I am having some difficulty adding in my Facebook feed, but will revisit that at some point.

I found an online post about enhancing a Protopage site and plan to dig a little deeper into this article to further enhance my Protopage site.

http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2012/create-your-own-library-social-media-monitoring-dashboard/

Flickr Tag Browser

Came across this Flickr tool while I was on StumbleUpon. I haven't really investigted Flickr much, but this is definitely awesome.

http://www.airtightinteractive.com/projects/related_tag_browser/app/

Authenticity

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2uyBcj/:1f5U37WqF:U!4_n7u6/www.fromupnorth.com/2012/02/inspirational-quotes-433/

StumbleUpon

Last night I was finally able to log into StumbleUpon! Turned out it was the security settings on my laptop preventing access to the website. I'm definitely happy now that I was not able to get into this website while working on my class work - it is as addictive as Pinterest. I really like how you can select from pre-specified topics, but also incorporate your own personal topics of interest. Although my relationship with StumbleUpon is only 24 hours old, it appears that the sites you "stumble" into are a lot more expansive than the sites you "pin" on Pinterest.

StumbleUpon brings you to some very unique places. I'm not that familiar with this site yet, so my impressions may be incorrect, but it seems that although you select your own topics of interest and "surf through" various sites by selecting the "stumble" button, you do not save your favorites on your own personal boards. I have pinned some favorites to Pinterest and scooped others onto Scoop-it in order to save them.

That's it for now - I'm off to investigate StumbleUpon a little more...will probably still be sitting here at midnight again telling myself this is the last one... 

Pinterest

I am addicted to Pinterest. I'd never heard of Pinterest until it was mentioned in my Social Media class about 2 months ago. That isn't so surprising, since I was pretty oblivious to social media in general and really didn't think it was all that important or interesting. Now I can't seem to get enough of it and Pinterest has me hooked.  

What is so appealing about this site??? I'll tell you what is NOT appealing...that is when someone just pins a photo and it isn't a link to anything else, or even worse when it brings you to a marketing site. So, I guess that gives me a clue about what IS so addictive about the Pinterest.

• It is very visual, but not just on the surface. A click will bring you places. I found the Etsy website today. Love it!
• You can look back (like a scrapbook) at a board that has all things that YOU like. Just love to go into one of my pages and feel the sense of awe -- like "Beautiful Places" or "Gardening" -- as I love every photo, or into a Board where I had pinned articles that were of interest to me.
• You interact with other people who have similar interests and get GREAT ideas from them. Looking at other peoples' boards gives you a sense of their personality. It is socially satisfying to follow someone who has repinned a pin.

So here is a link to my Pinterest site... it is ever changing because there is so much to discover out there!

http://pinterest.com/lilole/

Radcliffe Camera - Bodleian library in Oxford

Radcliffe Camera - Bodleian library in Oxford, a photo by lathuy on Flickr.

Beautiful !

"The Good, The Bad and the Ugly..."

So, I get up this morning, take my shower, go to my Yahoo e-mails on my i-phone and find this in my inbox from a blog that I subscribed to about "How we Learn"

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/jp/good-read-how-free-range-learners-hunt-for-educational-content-online/

First thought after reading this article...this is so applicable to the assignment for this week...librarians pay attention;

Second thought after reading this article (on my iphone, no less)...this is 180 degree turn from the way I have obtained information in the past;

Third thought after reading this article...I need to share this!

Thanks for a great class :)

My vision: The future of social media and the library

A recent article “scooped” from the American Library Association’s website discusses various social media currently being used by libraries. The article is based upon the results of a survey conducted by South Carolina State Library. 548 of the participants who began this survey completed it (73%). Below is a table that provides statistics on the types of activities these libraries are currently using Web 2.0 for. Interestingly, these are primarily for promotional/marketing activities.

Way that libraries use Web 2.0 tool	2010	2011
Promoting general library services	83%	88%
Marketing specific adult programs and/or services	70%	72%
Providing quick updates to users	66%	75%
Reaching a new audience of potential users	51%	54%

The survey also included an open-ended question. In spite of the positive numbers reported in the table above, there were some less than positive comments concerning the use of Web 2.0 tools in libraries:
·     “Many school libraries do not permit the use of Web 2.0 tools because of their content filters. This is the case at my school for most tools. It is unfortunate because these tools could really help promote our library and learning.”
·       “I think social networking has been way oversold. I don’t know of a single library that relies on these gimmicks to achieve their core mission. Mostly a waste of time that would be better spent providing direct service to customers.”
·      “Non-library administrators are too afraid of ‘bad press’ to even let us try to use social media of any type! It is extremely frustrating to be stuck in basically a pre-Internet age. We only have online video tutorials accessible from our webpage. <sigh>”
·      “I don’t believe the average public library patron is acutely aware of Web 2.0 technologies and what they can do for/with them.”
·      In a press release, study author Curtis R. Rogers added his own insight about the open ended comments: “It was…interesting to see that some libraries are still not employing these free tools, especially in such tough economic times.”

These open-ended responses raise concerns about the perceived safety and awareness of using Web 2.0 tools. The second response is particularly surprising in that the responder states Web 2.0 tools are “mostly a waste of time.” I feel that these attitudes present a unique opportunity for libraries in the future: educating the public about the features, benefits and risks of using Web 2.0 tools.

I presume that most people use the Web for entertainment and believe that they possess the skills to conduct research on the internet, but realistically there is a need for education and skill development. Libraries have an opportunity to play a leadership role in promoting information literacy in the digital future.

As we have seen in this course there are a multitude of Web 2.0 tools, with a wide variety of functions. In my recent conversations (since I have now gained enough knowledge to at least ask questions about social media…) those I have spoken with outside of librarians really do not think about how information is changing, the skills needed to find good information, or the concept of authority. I believe that authority plays a much more important role in the search for information than it has in the past, because of the internet. The internet has made it so much easier to publish. With that, the authority of the information being published comes into question on a global basis, more so than when only the most educated people published. Critical thinking skills play a much more important role today. Again, these are skills that need to be taught. Libraries can partner with schools and help to facilitate critical thinking and understanding authority. As we have read, Web 2.0 games help to improve strategic thinking skills. 

In summary, as the volume of information increases exponentially and the format of information evolves from print into the virtual arena, people will have to be educated on how to find information and to assess its validity. I see the library continuing to play a leadership role in information literacy, and Web 2.0 tools will play a significant role in the way information is accessed and taught.

"Social Networking", American Library Association, April 7, 2012. http://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries/soal2012/social-networking

(Accessed April 25, 2012)  Document ID: 53c33d07-d1ad-a0d4-6d9b-b51ea3c6318f

My friend Travis

Trying out Colleen's tip. Hopefully a picture of my friend Travis will be posted from my iPhone.

Great Wiki

http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com

The 21st Century Learners and Learning page is particularly applicable to this week's topic

Reverse Instruction, Democratizing Education & Libraries

Is "Reverse Instruction" the future of education?
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/02/reverse-instruction-tools-and-techniques-part-1/

If so, what role can libraries play to help insure that all students have equal access?

The articles we read this week discussed the role of libraries in learning facilitation through technology and e-games. I have never played on-line games, so for me this was a new and intesting concept. I have a husband, children and grandchildren who play on-line and love the interactive, competitive aspects. To me it just seemed like a lot of violence and a waste of time. I see now that I haven't really given this on-line venue a fair chance. The articles we read this week have provided a new insight and I plan to look closely at some of the specific games discussed, because I can see now that the potential is there for e-games to make a difference in education.  

On a personal note, my husband who  has played handheld games off and on through the years recently had a series of surgeries and has been relegated to the recliner for many months. He has never been one to use the internet for anything. While his physical activity has been restricted, he began to expand his game playing to internet games and then to interactive, competitive on-line games. However, he still resisted the idea of using the internet for anything beyond this. Within the past couple of weeks, this has changed. Because he was told something that he did not agree with, he began using the internet to research laws and found that his opinion was correct and was then able to proceed with something that he wanted to do. I am hoping that the next step could be an on-line course as a step toward rehab and new profession. This may not seem like a huge step for some people, but for him this is monumental.

Well back to the topic at hand -- 
As the articles this week point out, video games are not going away, they could become a significant methodolgy for teaching skills, knowledge and literacies in the near future. As the experiment conducted at Champlain College shows, on-line games can enhance information literacy by honing students' information seeking skills - a valuable end-result. However, not all students will have equal access to technology.  I particularly the section "What is the purpose of the library anyway?" in Suellen's article . She states that one of the three purposes is "democratizing". The Schafer (2005) article made the statement, "School is increasingly seen as irrelevant by many students who are past the primary grades." (p. 110) Perhaps e-games is just what we need to "level the playing field" (Adams, p. 199) and to help students understand that learning is relevant. Also, if "reverse instruction" is to become a prominent teaching method in the future, libraries have the opportunity to position themselves and play an important role in overcoming all of these challenges.

Information Literacy in the Virtual World

From another of Lucy's Tweets -

http://www.netvibes.com/sheilawebber#Using_virtual_worlds

Here is the page creator's welcome:

"Welcome to this page produced for the "Information Literacy with Web 2.0 " virtual event (June/July 2009). I am Sheila Webber, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Studies, University of sheffield, UK. In Second Life I am Sheila Yoshikawa, and own our SL island, Infolit iSchool. This page has two short PowerPoints put together for the event, and links/embeddings of other resources. The focus is on virtual worlds, specifically Second Life. In part 1 I give an introduction to uses of virtual worlds, including my own experience, and in Part 2 (in the right hand column towards the end of the page) I focus on Information Literacy & Second Life.
**Please read the web "post-it notes"** in particular the PINK ones which are the "headers" for the items. I hope you find it interesting ;-)"


retrieved 04/22/2012 from "Social Networking and Web 2.0" http://www.netvibes.com/sheilawebber#Home

"Reading in a Whole New Way"

This article came from looking at at Lucy's Twitter feed (the link to the Smithonian's 40th anniversary)  It is very applicable to this week's topic about the benefits of "gaming".

 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/40th-anniversary/Reading-in-a-Whole-New-Way.html?c=y&page=1

The Gamification of Education

The ed tech company Knewton has created an excellent infographic illustrating The Gamification of Education. This graphic displays the potential and progression of using game design elements in educational contexts. via Stephen’s Lighthouse

http://www.knewton.com/gamification-education/

Retrieved from: http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2012/the-gamification-of-education-infographic/ 04/18/12

Speaking of Piracy....

The Web 2.0 Internet – are we all guilty of plagiarism?

Not sure where this link came from ... was it from one of my nightly adventures into social media land, or maybe a reference from a classmate? If so, I apologize for re-posting without credit!

Thoughts on Privacy & Piracy

THOUGHTS ON PIRACY -- Even without popcorn, the talk by Elizabeth Stark was quite enjoyable. She was able to make a somewhat, dare I say? ... boring topic, interesting.  It remains a confusing subject though, at least for me, and the digital realm has only made it more complex. Elizabeth’s comment that "the norms are out of touch with the law" is a reflection that “the law” is having a difficult time keeping up with the changes taking place because of technology.  I took 7 pages of notes and really can’t get my head around the concept of copyright in the digital arena.  After experiencing the speed with which one jumps from place to place on these social media  sites…the number of places one can go in a matter of minutes…I am not sure how copyright can easily be attributed or claimed unless one is talking about a “significant” piece of work. The concepts of Fair Use and Creative Commons give latitude, but who monitors this? The court case around the Obama poster is … I can’t even find a word to describe it. I work in human resources and every day live on the edge of legal interpretation. Couldn’t help but draw some analogies while watching this video.

THOUGHTS ON PRIVACY – Another confusing topic . By the time I got to page 4 of this article I was writing notes in the column “This is a vicious circle!” Fernandez has a valid point about the need for librarians to be concerned about the patrons’ personal information being accessible to social media sites through the SM sites of the library. When he originally mentioned that some libraries give access to their catalog through Facebook, I thought it sounded like a good idea. Not so much by the time I finished the article. Found this applicable post on the LibraryLaw Blog: http://blog.librarylaw.com/librarylaw/privacy/

All these shades of gray….

 

Is there an SMS-anonymous ???

As if I wasn't already spending way too much time absorbed in social media ... now comes the assignment from heaven to look at other sites beyond the ones we have focused on each week. Ok, Ok, this assignment helps me to justify turning on the laptop at 6:00am to squeeze in a few minutes of SMS before getting ready for work, reviewing mobile updates during breaks and lunch, sitting with my laptop going from one site to another from 7pm to midnight until I can't keep my eyes open...

PINTEREST
Among the social media I investigated this week was Pinterest. There seemed to be a lot of enthusiasm about this site from many of my classmates over the past few weeks. I tried several times (unsuccessfully) to get onto this site after being invited in, but finally this week after really working at it, I was able to complete my login. Haven't completely figured the site out yet, but I've pinned a couple photos on my site. Surprisingly, I  now have a whole page of beautiful flowers!! Not sure how that happened or if I want to pin anything else - they are beautiful. Perhaps Pinterest could be used in the libraries for book discussions?

I came across this interesting website "Social Media Today" and there are some good comments about Pinterest.
http://socialmediatoday.com/all/24784?ref=linkbar

FLICKR
Created a Flickr account this past week and uploaded a couple of my own pictures (more flowers!), tried to link Flickr to this blog. I think that last step was successful - going to try and bring a photo into my blog... I think it is somewhere here - Flickr said to go and look at my blog. Guess I'll  find out if it worked once I publish this post. Can the pictures on Flickr be uploaded to anyone's website, FB or blog? If so, this site provides a great resource for images for the libraries SMS's.

YOU TUBE
Kudo's to everyone in class who created a You Tube video for your book review! You all did such a good job. I don't have the courage to put myself out there like that.  You Tube is amazing, however I generally just watch videos that are embedded into something else I am looking at. Going into the You Tube site is a bit overwhelming for me. It is like being a kid in a candy store, so to speak...not sure what to look at first! I came across the SchoolTube.com site during my travels. This seems like a safe idea to me and one that might be more appropriate for use in the libraries. What about a Librarytube?
http://www.schooltube.com/video/ac50748d07755603ba34/


OTHER SITES
I've tried a few other sites, mostly without success at this point.  Among them GoAnimate, StumbleUpon, LibraryThing, LinkedIn, Prototype, ReadItLater, Evernote. Plan to revisit these and to continue improving my social media skills! It will be beneficial for librarians to become familiar with these various sites and to be a leader in promoting their use.  

Wildflowers

Wildflowers, a photo by wbmpics on Flickr.

linking from Flickr to my blog

Finally Facebook!

Because Facebook was the only social media site (SMS) that I was familiar with prior to entering this class, I was initially disappointed that this particular site was not on the agenda until week 10. Well, my perspective has changed. The SMSs we have visited each week and others that have been presented as a result of suggestions from classmates and my own “surfing” (is that the right word?) have been a real education. I am excited to expand my knowledge of Facebook, but now understand that this is not the only venue available. In fact, it is mind-boggling how many options are actually out there! This is a whole new world for me and I find myself jumping from one SMS to another to try them out. Unfortunately, or should I say - fortunately J, I work a full-time job and have a family-life, in addition to classwork and a few hours of sleep at night. So, the amount of time available to investigate these sites is limited.

Well – back to Facebook. The articles this week were informative and thought-provoking. I started by reading the 2006 article, The Terrible Twos. While not necessarily about Facebook, the information about Web 2.0, as well as the AJAX and API technologies, was interesting. There are also references in this article to several sites that I plan to research further. 

The next article I read was the 2008 article, Use of Facebook in academic health sciences libraries.  I took Health Sciences Librarianship a couple semesters ago at UMass Medical Center. While the focus of the course was on the medical databases, the librarians strive to increase their outreach to the medical students and physicians. There was no mention of Facebook during this course, nor do I recall a Facebook icon on the Lamar Souter Library website… just looked – Twitter is there, but no Facebook. This article indicates that “the 2 most-cited reasons why academic health sciences libraries did not have a presence on Facebook were the lack of time to set up and maintain a Facebook page (36%) and the belief that Facebook demonstrated little or no utility in an academic setting (28%).” The reason Lamar Souter does not have a Facebook page, is most likely a combination of these 2 reasons. Even the Twitter posts by some of the medical school librarians was limited.

The articles we read this week indicate that those libraries currently using Facebook, public and academic, are using them mainly from a marketing standpoint. At this point, little outreach is being done. The Connell article, as well as the two Fernandez articles, stress the importance of waiting for the library patrons to set the boundaries.  As historical mentors for privacy, librarians can take a leadership role in the privacy issues surrounding  social media.  Also, in their role as “translators of knowledge” (Fernandez, 2010, p. 15), librarians should strive to understand and impact how information is obtained going forward. Fernandez (2010) makes several statements that sum up the importance of the library’s role in social media  – “the nature of information is changing” (p. 15) – “the information contained within a SNS (social networking site) is caught between worlds.” (p. 14) – “the very essence of information science is to study the flow of information.” (p. 16)

I’ve been doing a little work with the Facebook page at the public library in the town where I work. While I am only one of several administrators who post, I have been struggling a bit with what is appropriate to post and what isn’t.  This week’s articles helped to focus some of my concerns, but obviously there is a lot to learn about Facebook, the recent changes to the site and the role that Facebook will have as a networking and information-transfer tool for libraries.

Next Generation Catalogs

As a visual learner and a non-techie, I found the specifics in this week’s articles a bit difficult to follow. However, the idea that OPACs need to become more user friendly and intuitive is not difficult to understand. The experiences described by NCSU with their implementation of the Endeca Information Access Platform and OSU’s implementation of WorldCat Local indicate that progress is being made, but that there are challenges remaining to be overcome. I wonder how much change/improvement has taken place since these implementations  in 2006 and 2009, respectively.  

Everything Is Miscellaneous - Book Review

Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder   

by David Weinberger

Although this book was written over 4 years ago (copyright 2007), a relatively significant amount of time in the digital age, I found Everything is Miscellaneous to be both pertinent and informative. Weinberger has an easy writing style and provides intriguing and thought-provoking examples, making this an enjoyable and informative book for everyone. I found myself at times chuckling, at other times having “ah-ha” moments and quite often writing down interesting concepts for future reference.

The book includes discussions about philosophers through the ages, the history of information, and various examples of the first, second and third order of information. Weinberger uses the analogy of a tree throughout the book to bring home his points about the evolution of knowledge transfer.  In the first and second order, knowledge is categorized and linear. Because information is printed, it is finite in nature and limited by the physical; experts provide and organize information; it is categorized into “branches” with “leaves” representing pieces of specific knowledge.  As knowledge organized in the first and second order becomes larger, it also becomes more difficult to use. 

In the digital world, third order information is not limited by the physical and organization is not a requirement. In fact, organization of information in the third order may turn out to be a hindrance for optimal utilization. In the third order, more information is beneficial, increased size means increased possibilities; knowledge is not linear and information can be found in more than one place at the same time. Examples of existing third order tools are numerous and Weinberger discusses many of them in this book: iTunes, Wikipedia, Google, Flickr, Dabble.com, Reddit.com to name a few. These tools and others are used to help us find our “leaves” when more information has less organization.

Characteristics of first and second order “traditional” knowledge: 1. There is one reality, one knowledge, the same for all 2. Neither reality nor knowledge are ambiguous 3. We need experts, human filters, to help us understand 4. Experts earn their place in our society 5. Knowledge is explicit

Characteristics of third order knowledge: 1. Everything is metadata 2. Information should be in as many “places” as possible 3. Information is not organized, filter on the way out not the way in 4. Loss of control – the information owner does not have control over the use of that information 5. Knowledge is implicit

 Web 2.0 Tool:

I chose the tool ScoopIt! as the Web 2.0 representation for this book. The nature of this site exemplifies the concepts that David Weinberger discusses in his book. Based upon the keywords and sources entered for a topic, ScoopIt! searches the web for the “leaves” that appear to pertain to the topic. This Web 2.0 tool is helpful for the information-curator because the leaves are not found on branches, but in a “slush pile” where there is no true categorization of information.  Because the “leaves” presented have been “scooped” out of this virtual pile of information using keywords (a rudimentary controlled vocabulary), some of the scoops are pertinent to the topic at hand and some of them are “compost”.  The curator of the site has the opportunity to individually review each suggestion and decide whether to ScoopIt! or discard it.  The curator also has the ability to be the “expert” and create their own posts for the site.

Here is a link:
http://www.scoop.it/t/the-third-order-of-information

Book Review

The book I've chosen to do the book review project on is "Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder" by David Weinberger. The book is fascinating. Until recently, I have been somewhat out of touch with the evolution that has been taking place in libraries and with information technology. While I've always used libraries for my personal reading, I've been out of school for more years than I care to admit. One reason that I came back to school and chose this field was because I wanted to become educated on how information is organized. With the exponential increase in the amount of information out there, it was a question in my mind as to how information would be organized and retrieved. So, this book by David Weinberger was of particular interest to me because he seemed to be proposing that the answer is actually in the disorder of information. He has convinced me :).

For the media presentation aspect of the book review project, I chose “Scoop It”. I’ve created a page entitled “The Third Order of Information” and have been “scooping” information digitally from a variety of sources and publishing them to my site. I think this particular social media site is a perfect example of the “power of the new digital disorder”. Based upon keywords that I choose, the web is searched and content is presented for my review. The content can be "scooped" or discarded. I can add new keywords and select different social media sources to search. Scoop it! has presented me with some very pertinent and interesting information regarding my topic.

Here is the link to my Scoop it! Page:
  

http://www.scoop.it/t/the-third-order-of-information

This is an amazing site and I am anxious to try this out for additional topics of personal interest. If you haven’t used this site already, give it a try! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Where have I been ???

The readings for this week on tagging and folksonomies were a total eye-opener for me.  As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve been totally out of touch with what has been happening with social media. Up to this week, I’ve at least heard of the media that we have been using;  but, never before have I heard the term “folksonomies”, had  any idea of what a “tag” was,  and gave no mind to those circle of words that showed up periodically.  
The paper, Social Tagging as a Knowledge Organization and resource Discovery Tool by Hesham Allam was a well-rounded overview of the topic, comprehensive yet basic enough for a novice to understand. The paper provides informative definitions and examples, as well as the pros and cons of social tagging. The article from First Monday, Survival of the fittest tag: Folksonomies, findability, and the evolution of information organization written by Alexis Wichowski was an excellent article that brought my understanding of this topic to the next level. 
When others have asked me why I am studying library science, very often questioning the future of this field, I have responded that in this age of information overload, continued information organization becomes critical. I find this a challenge on a minor level in my own personal and professional life. The problem is exponentially more important on a universal level. Both of these readings brought home to me the fact that I have been missing some very important organizational tools.

As I was reading these two articles this week, my grandson was at my house completing a homework assignment on the behavioral adaptations of animals. As a biology major in college, I am very familiar with the theory of evolution. However, the quote from Charles Darwin at the beginning of the Wichowski article had me smiling as my grandson and I completed our assignments, both realizing the importance of behavioral adaptations.

“In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment.”  Charles Darwin

Pageviews from Russia

Looking at the Stats on my blog .... Is someone from this class in Russia?

 

Pageviews by Countries

United States  15

Germany          7

Russia              3

Twitter … #changeofopinion

Never thought I would be saying this…I am enjoying Twitter!  It took some perseverance to figure out enough to get rolling, but I have gotten far enough to say I am hooked.

The article from the Library of Congress was interesting.  Initially, I could not comprehend why the LoC would acquire the Twitter archives and felt that this was a waste of time and money.  Who in the future would possibly review all of these tweets, and isn’t this a total invasion of privacy??  However, after making my way through the virtual brainstorming and reading the 93 comments posted, I can see the value.  “Bryan C’s” post about the inability to retrieve data from prior to 1996 and “berikson’s” post about wishing that he “could hear my ancestor’s talk” really hit home for me.

The “Twitter for Librarians: The Ultimate Guide” provided a lot of useful information about how and why incorporating Twitter into library services could be beneficial. I had tweeted earlier this week that I needed a “Twitter for Dummies” book and then read this article - great list of resources!  

Love this

The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

The Gospel According to Shug

HELPED are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be constant.
HELPED are those who love the entire cosmos rather than their own tiny country, city, or farm, for to them will be shown the unbroken web of life and the meaning of infinity.
HELPED are those who live in quietness, knowing neither brand name nor fad; they shall live every day as if in eternity, and each moment shall be as full as it is long.
HELPED are those who love others unsplit off from their faults; to them will be given clarity of vision.
HELPED are those who create anything at all, for they shall relive the thrill of their own conception, and realize an partnership in the creation of the Universe that keeps them responsible and cheerful.
HELPED are those who love the Earth, their mother, and who willingly suffer that she may not die; in their grief over her pain they will weep rivers of blood, and in their joy in her lively response to love, they will converse with the trees.
HELPED are those whose ever act is a prayer for harmony in the Universe, for they are the restorers of balance to our planet. To them will be given the insight that every good act done anywhere in the cosmos welcomes the life of an animal or a child.
HELPED are those who risk themselves for others’ sakes; to them will be given increasing opportunities for ever greater risks. Theirs will be a vision of the word in which no one’s gift is despised or lost.
HELPED are those who strive to give up their anger; their reward will be that in any confrontation their first thoughts will never be of violence or of war.
HELPED are those whose every act is a prayer for peace; on them depends the future of the world.
HELPED are those who forgive; their reward shall be forgiveness of every evil done to them. It will be in their power, therefore, to envision the new Earth.
HELPED are those who are shown the existence of the Creator’s magic in the Universe; they shall experience delight and astonishment without ceasing.
HELPED are those who laugh with a pure heart; theirs will be the company of the jolly righteous.
HELPED are those who love all the colors of all the human beings, as they love all the colors of the animals and plants; none of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them.
HELPED are those who love the lesbian, the gay, and the straight, as they love the sun, the moon, and the stars. None of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them.
HELPED are those who love the broken and the whole; none of their children, nor any of their ancestors, nor any parts of themselves, shall be hidden from them.
HELPED are those who do not join mobs; theirs shall be the understanding that to attack in anger is to murder in confusion.
HELPED are those who find the courage to do at least one small thing each day to help the existence of another–plant, animal, river, or human being. They shall be joined by a multitude of the timid.
HELPED are those who lose their fear of death; theirs is the power to envision the future in a blade of grass.
HELPED are those who love and actively support the diversity of life; they shall be secure in their differences.
HELPED are those who KNOW.

Retrieved March 3, 2012 from http://outofprintclothing.com/blog/

Following on Twitter

In addition to my fellow classmates, I have started to follow a few people and organizations on Twitter:
@berkmancenter
@edgarschein
@Lifeisgood
@Worcester_PL
@BarackObama
@Ctr4SocialMedia
@LibraryJournal

As I searched for Twitter accounts, it was interesting to see who is already on Twitter and who isn't. Our public library (Worcester, MA) has a Twitter account. This is kind of exciting now that I sort of know what Twitter is. The town library that I do some volunteer work with on thier Facebook page, does not have a Twitter page. I have heard that it is important for businesses to participate in Twitter. If you feel that this is important, I would love to hear why.

Virtual Choir 2.0

Just saw this on the news - It amazes me what can be accomplished virtually!

http://vimeo.com/22960177

For all you singers out there - Eric Whitacre is now recruiting for his 3rd production :)

Always On (the) Mobile Web

This week we read “Always on: Libraries in a world of permanent connectivity” by Lorcan Demsey and “Library/Mobile: Tips on Designing and Developing Mobile Web Sites” by Kim Griggs, Laurie M. Bridges and Hannah Gascho Rempel.  I found the “Tips” article to be a bit technical, but some points were definitely of interest.  In addition to the information and statistics from the Pew Project, Horrigan’s comment that “for many Americans, always-on, always-available access is a part of their basic lifestyles” really summarizes the importance of libraries figuring all this out.  Statistics from the article indicate that in 2009, “32% of all Americans have gotten online with a mobile device and 25% of mobile users who are 18-29 years old are accessing the internet on a typical day.” It is a given that these percentages are significantly higher in 2012. As libraries strive to prove their relevance, it will be important for them to incorporate mobile access into their online venues. The staging method of incorporating mobile access as described by the OSU Libraries seems to be the smart way to rollout this type of program.

Both of these articles stress the importance of structuring online programs to meets the needs of the organization’s current and potential users. I found the “Always on” article to be very informative. The comments about “continued connectedness” and “the blurring of our social, business, learning and educational lives” were particularly interesting to me.  Dempsey makes some very pertinent points concerning the future of libraries.  He quotes William Mitchell from a 2008 article in the Economist – “there is a huge drop in demand for traditional, private, enclosed spaces…and a huge rise in demand for semi-public spaces that can be informally appropriated to ad hoc workspaces”.  The discussion about the future of collections was particularly interesting, and Dempsey made several interesting points in the conclusion of the article, stressing that “the library has a visibility and brand challenge…the continued competition for resources means that the library needs to be as visible as possible. This…calls for heightened marketing engagement and local political skills.” My sense is that these are relatively new skills for libraries and librarians.

Overload! Peta - Exa - Zetabytes...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psvYYCxMIuE&feature=player_embedded

"The summer 2010 class of interns at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society took on a huge assignment: pick a chapter from Urs Gasser and John Palfrey's book, Born Digital, and make a short video inspired by that chapter.

This video, inspired by the "Overload" chapter, was created by Gregory Asmolov and Eliane Bucher, with production assistance from the Berkman Center for Internet & Society/Youth and Media project. It is released under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution Non-Commercial license."

retrieved from @Berkmancenter 02/24/12

From Twitter - Presentation on Using Blogs and Twitter to "Jump Start Your Library"

So, at Colleen's suggestion, I opened a Twitter account and "followed" a few people and other entities. Think I  followed too many, because I was inundated and now have to figure out what to do with all these "tweets"!

Did find this very informative piece of information - "Library 2.0 - Jump Start Your Library with Blogging and Twitter" and actually re-tweeted a few of the posts.

http://www.slideshare.net/nathantwright/library-20-jump-start-your-library-with-blogging-and-twitter?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Feel like I am making some progress, but honestly it is taking hours!!

P.S. There are several other very informative slide shows on the topic of Library 2.0 at the end of this presentation

Questions on the Use of Wikis in Business

I have been thinking a little more about the use of wikis in a business environment and reading fellow students' posts on this subject. It seems to me that this venue could be very useful for coordinating projects. In my job, I juggle numerous projects at any given time and each project involves a different set of team members. I can see where one wiki might be used for coordinating multiple projects if all the projects had the same team members. However, I am trying to figure out if it is possible to have one wiki site for multiple projects, each having different project teams. Can individual collaborators be added to specific projects rather than granting all collaborators access to all projects?

Library 2.0: Blogs, Wikis, and RSS to Serve the Library

This was a very informative article. For me personally, the definitions provided for Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and RSS were helpful. I agree with the author’s perspective on the importance of assimilating these technologies into library services. Because it is such an integral part of our everyday life, libraries must embrace technology. The challenge for libraries and librarians is to keep up with the changes in technology, keep abreast of the technologies the public is using and to incorporate these technologies into library services in a way that keeps them current. While many in our society question the future of libraries, this author states, and I agree, that “libraries are especially important now when the whole idea of education is stressing more and more independent learning and acting. All citizens must be able to find and use information. It is the key raw material, but it is a zero resource, if there are no access points to it and if documents are in chaotic order.” I find it amazing when educated, intelligent people tell me that, soon, we will no longer need libraries. Locally, several communities have voted down renovations to their town libraries, in spite of receiving state grants to assist them with the finances. Intelligently utilizing the various Web 2.0 tools is a crucial aspect of proving that libraries are both relevant and necessary.

The references provided in this article to the Ann Arbor District Library (blog), St. Joseph Public Library (wiki) and the websites for free images were an added bonus!

Check this out! - The Conversation Prism

Retrieved on 02/19/12 from: http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=4524484&searchId=56b7bb6871857f290078cf83132bec40&npos=10

A Culture of Connectivity

This may sound kind of “sappy” but I feel that our ability to freely watch a webcast like this, given by experts in any field, is such a privilege.  That being said, I had mixed emotions about the topics discussed in this webcast. Professor Singer pointed out at the beginning of the webcast that “the world is changing around us and we just can’t keep up.” While it is here to stay, it seems that social media exacerbates this “problem”.  If we don’t want social media to overtake our lives, we must not only learn how to “embrace” it, we must also learn how to “manage” it.  

John Palfrey described the use of blogging in an academic setting, where students can actually follow the conversations of the faculty outside of the classroom. The ability to have this ongoing access to the faculty outside of the classroom is great, enhancing levels of participation. However, does this use of social media result in too much added pressure on the students?

While I don’t necessarily agree with all of her analogies between Facebook interactions and “face-to-face” interactions, Dr. Boyd raised several points that I found interesting:

• she points out that blogging can increase level of communication and participation in academic settings; 
• she acknowledges that adept use of the various technologies and media does not necessarily indicate media literacy or appropriate use of copyrights;
• she describes the content of social media sites as a “living thing” undergoing an evolution;
• she cautions college admissions and business hiring managers against judging applicants strictly by their Facebook pages, explaining that this may be only part of who they really are, or simply a fabricated personality. 

As we strive to keep up with the ever-changing technology, I think we need to be careful not to let technology overtake out lives. There is still a need for personal interaction beyond the dimension of social media. It was interesting to watch and listen to the panelists as they relayed their experiences and gave their opinions on this topic.

New Media, Old Media

Is it pertinent that Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, etc. are referred to a “social” media?  As I finished reading this article, my thought was that people probably gravitate to the “new” media for entertainment purposes more than for “news-worthy” content. However, this opinion is from someone who is currently only an occasional user of the new media! It seems to me that there is a need for both types of media, the traditional as well as the social. As stated in the article (pg. 2) “social media tend to hone in on stories that get much less attention in the mainstream press. And there is little evidence, at least at this point, of the traditional press then picking up on those stories in response.” From my limited perspective, there are several aspects to the new media that have an appeal: participation is relatively easy; there is immediate gratification when replying to a blog or a tweet, not so when writing a letter to the editor in response to an article or issue in the traditional sense and you don’t have to be an expert – everyone’s opinion seems to be “welcome”. The article definitely piqued my interest in looking a Twitter and You Tube, both of which I am sad to say I have never looked at before…

Library 2.0: Revolution or Evolution?

The article Library 2.0: Revolution or Evolution? discusses numerous points of view regarding the future of the institution we know as the library. With the emergence of digital technology, the manner in which traditional library services have been delivered began to change as well. Delivery formats changed to keep up with the wants and needs of the user. The authors seem to conclude, and I agree, that the changes taking place do not characterize a revolution. Libraries will continue to provide services that are similar to their traditional services, while offering them in a way that meets the needs of their users. I think it is really the nature of information that is changing. Information is expanding rapidly and it is being offered in different formats. Libraries will evolve to provide access efficiently and in a variety of formats., as well 

Pros and Cons of Social Media

It is interesting to read the differing opinions of the “experts” regarding the “Pros and Cons of Social Media”. I found myself agreeing with some of the comments, disagreeing with some, and not identifying at all with others.  For me, the overall benefit of social media is summed up in the quote from Jessica Clark, “Social media are value neutral; their main virtue is the promise of democratic communication. (It’s) a challenge to each of us to fight for parity, transparency, access and openness.”  Sasha Pasulka points out the good in social media: “It’s a way for us to become more informed, more connected and overall less ignorant. It’s a way for us to experience different lives, different worlds and different points of view in a way that has never been possible, quite literally, in the history of the world.” While Matt Hinckley points out the negative aspects of social media:  “Too much information bouncing around at the speed of thought leads us to too much information erroneously being ‘reported’ or accepted as ‘fact’.” Hinckley’s comment reminded me of the Koltay article from last week.  

Comments on Library 2.0 Article

Well, this was a bit of a difficult read…but worth the effort. Koltay makes some valid points about the importance of “knowing your audience”. Publishing in the written format is/was not as easy or as fast as producing thoughts and ideas through electronic means. Now everyone is an authority, but where is the authority. With so much information readily available we must be aware of what type of information we seek and the reliability of the information we receive. 

I really liked the point made by Lessig (2007) “I think it is a great thing when amateurs create, even if the thing they create is not as great as what the professional creates. I want my kids to write. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll stop reading Hemingway and read only what they write.” It is all important. However, as distributors of information and facilitators information sharing, libraries must understand what their users are seeking and provide the appropriate sources. 

Also, as Koltay points out in this paper, “the general mission of library services (is) to facilitate convenient access to documents and support the mission of the institution or the interests of the population served.” (Buckland, 1992) It is important that libraries understand the ”information seeking preferences” of their users so that the users needs can be met. At the same time, users have a “responsibility for the acquisition and use of knowledge…the readers themselves have to become the gatekeepers (and) enhance their evaluation skills.”