You know how sometimes you find a thing, but aren't sure exactly how to pass it on?
The Follett Digital Reader user guide is the perfect example. I could send this to einlibs, or post it in the ACLA wiki, or link it up on Facebook. I could probably put it in multiple places. But, I wonder, what's the best way to make sure we all know there's a user guide to those pesky Follett ebooks?
What do you think 23-Thingers?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Week 12 - The Grand Finale
Over the 4th of July weekend I remembered that I had a cousin who could not say Grand Finale. Instead he would keep asking when he would see the Grand Jumbally. Of course as an adult that stuck with me and it makes me laugh everytime I think about it. Our initial reactions to change and technology also tend to stick with us, unless we have the opportunity to really get our hands dirty playing and inspecting new technologies. Think of it as mud pies for the mind. From You Tube here are some words of wisdom about technology.
Since this is the final week you have 3 quick assignments: (Thing #21) please give us your final comments. You can post them right here on this blog. (Thing #22) Take the exit survey by following this link. And for the Grand Finale, (Thing #23) please share your new skills with your fellow library workers and users. The greatest gift of all is not in knowing everything, but sharing everything we know. Now remember you have 2 weeks to continue working on assignments you couldn't get to or needed more time for. So pat yourselves on the back and many thanks for your participation! For fun here are some links on the 23 Things Wiki
Since this is the final week you have 3 quick assignments: (Thing #21) please give us your final comments. You can post them right here on this blog. (Thing #22) Take the exit survey by following this link. And for the Grand Finale, (Thing #23) please share your new skills with your fellow library workers and users. The greatest gift of all is not in knowing everything, but sharing everything we know. Now remember you have 2 weeks to continue working on assignments you couldn't get to or needed more time for. So pat yourselves on the back and many thanks for your participation! For fun here are some links on the 23 Things Wiki
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Week 11: Podcasting and Streaming Media
Podcasting! It seems like everyone is doing it. Libraries, radio stations, television shows, and the Whitehouse are using podcasts as a way to extend their message or brand to a larger audience. Not only can you listen to your favorite morning radio show from your computer, you can also subscribe to all the best bits using their podcast. Podcasting allows you to get President Obama’s weekly address delivered to you. You can hear it immediately, or when it’s convenient. In the past if you wanted to watch a video online or listen to a digital recording of a speech the onus would be on you to seek it out. Podcasting, or more specifically, RSS allows that content to be delivered to you. Before we get too far, let’s take a few minutes to understand the difference between downloadable and streaming media and their relationship with podcasting.
Streaming and downloading are two different methods of delivering audio or video content. To better understand this difference let’s use the example of a CNN’s Web site. When you visit CNN.com you can watch live news broadcasts. The content is delivered, or “streamed” from CNN’s servers to your computer. The broadcast is not saved to your computer; rather it is delivered to you only when you request it.
Downloading installs the audio or video content onto your computer. Unlike CNN’ streaming news broadcast, audio or video that is downloaded can be accessed at anytime and does not require you to be connected to the Internet. The file is saved on your computer's hard drive and it can be retrieved in the same way you would a Word document or digital photograph.
Podcasting distinguishes itself from the above formats by the ability to syndicate and subscribe to the content. If this sounds familiar then you were paying attention during Week 3 when we discussed RSS. In some cases the same newsreader that you use to read blogs can be used to subscribe to podcasts or vodcasts (video podcasts). You can listen to (or view) the podcast when it arrives, or you can download it to your computer or a portable device.
To learn more about podcasts, check out this video from the good folks at Common Craft.
This week we're asking you to locate a podcast and subscribe to it (Thing #20). A list of suggestions are available on the Wiki page for Week 11 or you can search for one on your own. You can use subscribe to the podcast using Google Reader or any other RSS reader that supports podcasts. You can also use one of the "podcatchers" mentioned in the above video. A directory of Windows and Macintosh podcast software can be found here. (Some of these podcatchers require you to download free software. In the event that it doesn't work, check with the eiNetwork Help Desk to get administrative rights for your machine.) To document your experience, include a comment below or a link to a blog post that describes your results. As always, include your name and your library. Good luck!
Streaming and downloading are two different methods of delivering audio or video content. To better understand this difference let’s use the example of a CNN’s Web site. When you visit CNN.com you can watch live news broadcasts. The content is delivered, or “streamed” from CNN’s servers to your computer. The broadcast is not saved to your computer; rather it is delivered to you only when you request it.
Downloading installs the audio or video content onto your computer. Unlike CNN’ streaming news broadcast, audio or video that is downloaded can be accessed at anytime and does not require you to be connected to the Internet. The file is saved on your computer's hard drive and it can be retrieved in the same way you would a Word document or digital photograph.
Podcasting distinguishes itself from the above formats by the ability to syndicate and subscribe to the content. If this sounds familiar then you were paying attention during Week 3 when we discussed RSS. In some cases the same newsreader that you use to read blogs can be used to subscribe to podcasts or vodcasts (video podcasts). You can listen to (or view) the podcast when it arrives, or you can download it to your computer or a portable device.
To learn more about podcasts, check out this video from the good folks at Common Craft.
This week we're asking you to locate a podcast and subscribe to it (Thing #20). A list of suggestions are available on the Wiki page for Week 11 or you can search for one on your own. You can use subscribe to the podcast using Google Reader or any other RSS reader that supports podcasts. You can also use one of the "podcatchers" mentioned in the above video. A directory of Windows and Macintosh podcast software can be found here. (Some of these podcatchers require you to download free software. In the event that it doesn't work, check with the eiNetwork Help Desk to get administrative rights for your machine.) To document your experience, include a comment below or a link to a blog post that describes your results. As always, include your name and your library. Good luck!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Week 10: Firefox
Double-clicking on the big blue "E" is only one way to access the world wide web. This week's exercises are designed to introduce you to Firefox, a web browser made by Mozilla.
Mozilla uses open-source software to design its products, and it's worth taking a second to explain what that means, because it's a phrase that comes up over and over again in library world these days. Open source software, as defined by the Open Source Initiative, is software with code that can be shared, modified, and even spun off into other works, freely, among other things. That means anybody with time, interest, and an idea can play with open-source programs to make them better, or write new programs by modifying the existing language in which the program was written.
In very practical terms, this means that open-source software tends to be more flexible, is updated more frequently, and invites more participation and collaboration. Instead of sitting around waiting for a software company to release a new version of its product, you could be actively writing your own code...or, at the very least, submitting your ideas to the programmers to see what they can make for you. If you're interested in this, I suggest checking out What I Learned Today, a blog written by Nicole Engard, self-appointed Open Source Evangelist (she knows a lot of great stuff about other emerging technologies, too).
But, to return to the main point, Firefox: how is it different from other browsers, and what can it do for you? There seems to be no end to what you can do wtih this browser, but two important aspects to highlight are tabs and add-ons. The following short tutorials cover these elements at greater length:
Working with Tabs:
Using Add-ons (also called "extensions"):
See Week 10 of the wiki for more "Firefox 101" videos, and other helpful information.
Your assignments this week are:
Thing #17: Experiment with tabbed browsing and record your experiences in your blog, or a comment below.
Thing #18: Find an add-on that would enhance your web-browsing experience and install it. If that sounds intimidating, you might want to check out the lists of popular and recommended add-ons. If all else fails, who doesn't need another search engine? Report back on the experience.
Thing #19: See if you can find the features that let you change browser text size within Firefox. How do they compare to the settings in Internet Explorer? Record your observations.
Firefox keeps evolving, so it's the sort of tool you'll want to play with on a regular basis, to see what new features have been added. One great example of this is the recently-launched collections feature, which lets you add groups of useful add-ons. What would you like a web browser to be able to do? What kinds of features would be most helpful for our users?
Mozilla uses open-source software to design its products, and it's worth taking a second to explain what that means, because it's a phrase that comes up over and over again in library world these days. Open source software, as defined by the Open Source Initiative, is software with code that can be shared, modified, and even spun off into other works, freely, among other things. That means anybody with time, interest, and an idea can play with open-source programs to make them better, or write new programs by modifying the existing language in which the program was written.
In very practical terms, this means that open-source software tends to be more flexible, is updated more frequently, and invites more participation and collaboration. Instead of sitting around waiting for a software company to release a new version of its product, you could be actively writing your own code...or, at the very least, submitting your ideas to the programmers to see what they can make for you. If you're interested in this, I suggest checking out What I Learned Today, a blog written by Nicole Engard, self-appointed Open Source Evangelist (she knows a lot of great stuff about other emerging technologies, too).
But, to return to the main point, Firefox: how is it different from other browsers, and what can it do for you? There seems to be no end to what you can do wtih this browser, but two important aspects to highlight are tabs and add-ons. The following short tutorials cover these elements at greater length:
Working with Tabs:
Using Add-ons (also called "extensions"):
See Week 10 of the wiki for more "Firefox 101" videos, and other helpful information.
Your assignments this week are:
Thing #17: Experiment with tabbed browsing and record your experiences in your blog, or a comment below.
Thing #18: Find an add-on that would enhance your web-browsing experience and install it. If that sounds intimidating, you might want to check out the lists of popular and recommended add-ons. If all else fails, who doesn't need another search engine? Report back on the experience.
Thing #19: See if you can find the features that let you change browser text size within Firefox. How do they compare to the settings in Internet Explorer? Record your observations.
Firefox keeps evolving, so it's the sort of tool you'll want to play with on a regular basis, to see what new features have been added. One great example of this is the recently-launched collections feature, which lets you add groups of useful add-ons. What would you like a web browser to be able to do? What kinds of features would be most helpful for our users?
Monday, June 29, 2009
YouTube and Flickr: Lights, Camera, Action!
Part of our goal in 23 Things-n'at is not only to create time for fun and exploration, but to encourage library staff to see some of these web 2.0 tools through the lens of the library. These tools have great power (and are mostly free!) to expand the services we offer to patrons; YouTube and Flickr are no exceptions.
Many of you have heard of YouTube, maybe even recently you've seen this video of a very touching episode of Britain's Got Talent with Susan Boyle (who-- after the episode and its subsequent viral sharing-- appeared on all kinds of major network shows.) Many of us have also heard of Flickr, a photo sharing website that's quickly replacing those old sticky photo albums. But do you know these tools can work wonders in your library?
Online-video-hosting sites allow users to easily upload and share videos on the web. Among the players YouTube is currently top dog serving up over 1 million views a day and allowing users not only to upload their own video content easily, but also embed clips into their own sites easily.
Do some searching around YouTube yourself and see what the site has to offer. You'll find everything from 1970s TV commercials and classic 80s music videos to library dominos and this, The Engineers' Guide to Cats:
Of course, like any free site you’ll also find a lot stuff not worth watching. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore and see for yourself what the site has too offer. :)
Not only does YouTube have a lot to offer, but photo sharing websites like Flickr have catapulted the idea of “sharing” into full blown online communities. Flickr has become the fastest growing photo sharing site on the web and is known as one of the first websites to use keyword tags to create associations and connections between photos and users of the site.
For this week's tasks:
- Take the Flickr tour and browse the site for a picture that might interest you (Thing # 14). You may want to look at Flickr's Popular Tags for inspiration.
- Check out ACLA's Flickr sets for a picture of a local library (maybe yours is there!) Upload an image (from anywhere on Flickr) to your blog post for this week (Things # 15). If you create a Flickr account, you can use Flickr's blogging tool to add the image in your post or you can use Blogger's photo upload tool.
- Now try embedding a YouTube video in that same blog post (Thing # 16). When you find a video you like, follow the instructions below. If that's a little too techie for you, skip the instructions and watch the videos we link to at the bottom of the post.
- In your post this week, also consider these questions: what did you like or dislike about the sites and why did you choose the picture and/or video that you did? Can you see any features or components of these sites that might be interesting if they were applied to library websites?
- Copy the html code from your video's YouTube page on the far right (like below) by right clicking on that code and choosing copy.
- Paste that code into your blog post.
- Click on 'preview' (found in the upper right corner of your blog posting window) if you'd like to see your video as it will appear to readers.
- Publish your post!
- Get Caught Reading at the Cap May Library
- Vancouver Public Library at Work
- Generation We/Millenials: (consider how we serve [or don't serve] this population)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Week 8 - Social Networking
Any article or conversation about Web 2.0 will inevitably stress the newly acknowledged primacy of the experience of the Web for the user. And the vehicle for converting the user’s experience from that of a solitary, passive viewer (as in what might be called Web 1.0) to one of rich, dynamic content and broad, interactive participation is social networking. In other words - you can join a social online community of your choice.
Defining Online Social Networks
As with a lot of 2.0 tools, pinning down a definition of a “social network” is difficult — it’s one of those “you’ll know it when you see it” tools! But how do you know what to look for? Here are a few characteristics of social networks:
- profile pages: when you sign up for an account on a social networking site, your “profile page” becomes your home base. Most social networks allow you to add as much or as little information about yourself as you’d like. Common fields include your name, contact information, interests, and a photograph of yourself. Some social networks allow you to customize your profile page by changing the design, color, or look of the page (MySpace is an example), whereas other social networking sites use the same look & feel for all profile pages (Facebook is an example).
- “Friending”: this is probably the most important characteristic of a social network because finding friends (existing or new) on a social networking site is pretty much the point of being there in the first place! So, most social networks allow you to add another person/profile as a “friend” or a “contact” and your collection of friends becomes your own personal social network (not dissimilar to the way social networks form offline too!). The “friending” aspect of an online social network often accounts for why some social networking sites are popular with specific groups. For example, Facebook began as a social network for college and university students; it has since opened up to allow anyone to join the network, but it still remains most popular with students. Why? Because people go where their friends are!
- Groups: with real life social networks, groups tend to form around common interests, therefore most online social networks allow users to start a group or join a group based on their interests or common goals. Depending on the social networking site, you will probably find a group that represents your interests, regardless of what that interest might be!
- For those of you interested in just short bursts of information about yourself or observations, then Twitter is the way to go. Twitter is generating a lot of attention these days as it's being used to discuss elections, social lives and work.
Assignment:(Thing 11)Sign up for either a Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account! Look for people you know in the social network you choose and "friend" them. (Thing 12)
Optional:
If you’re not comfortable creating a Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account, for an alternate exercise:
- Find 3 articles on these or other social networks(Thing 11.)
- Blog about your thoughts on these tools and how libraries are using them. (Thing 12)
Go to our Week 8 wiki page for more resources or for a break click here and find out how libraries and librarians are using social networking.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Week 7: Relax, Take a Break, Smell the Flowers, Read a Book
Week 7 is upon us and boy have yinz been working hard! In these past 6 weeks, you've:
- discovered videos of library commercials and Thomas Frye
- wrestled with e-books
- learned (and laughed) about avatars
- gotten addicted to RSS feeds and Delicious
- come up with incredibly creative ideas
- confessed your true feelings about e-audio
- experienced first hand the frustration some of our patrons go through with downloadables
- waxed poetic about blogs and Library 2.0
- and explored unknown territories
So because we had faith in your hard-work ethic (librarians are known for that!) we built-in a week for catching-up and relaxing. This week, there are no assignments - zip, zero, nada! But we'd like to invite those of you who may have fallen behind (I'm one of those!) to play catch up this week and come back to the fold.
Also, keep in mind that because this project isn't cumulative, you can jump back in any time wherever we're at! So if you find at week 8, you have some spare time, jump into that Thing and join the fun!
Enjoy the week, relax and wrap up loose ends. We'll be back with another great Thing next Monday so for now, enjoy this 'breather!'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)