This exercise has been a wonderful opportunity to explore the world of blogs as well as access other Web 2.0 applications including: Bloglines, Technorati, Del.icio.us, and Last.fm.
I have consistently made my blog entries very visually oriented, with less text. I am a very "visual" kind of person and learner, and I think that kind of learning works well with all the opportunities and features of Web 2.0 strategies. I have now set up so many online accounts! Time will tell which ones I continue to access and which ones I ignore.
I do think the world of Web 2.0 is exciting and extremely engaging. Everyone can be an active participant in organizing images and text through social tagging, an activity that will continue to become more and more prevalent.
Even though the 23 Things exercise is officially done, I plan on continuing to maintain this blog by continuing to add entries on library-related information. Thanks for being the reason to get me started!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Overdrive
Instead of accessing NetLibrary, I further investigated Overdrive. This is the site where South Central Library cardholders can download audiobooks. On the Madison Public Library website, you can connect to Overdrive by following this link-
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/referenc.html
Just recently, they started adding Overdrive mp3 audiobooks that can be played on both PCs and Macs (and can be downloaded onto ipods). Here you can "check out" or "place a hold" on certain audiobooks. The collection is continually building.
(South Central Library System appears to have only an ebook subscription to NetLibrary. I could not access their audiobooks.)
Last.fm
Wikipedia writes of Last.fm:
Last.fm is a UK-based Internet radio and music community website, founded in 2002. It claims over 21 million active users based in more than 200 countries.[1] On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for £140m ($280m USD).[2]
Using a music recommendation system called "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm builds a detailed profile of each user's musical taste by recording details of all the songs the user listens to, either on the streamed radio stations or on the user's computer or some portable music devices. This information is transferred to Last.fm's database ("scrobbled") via a plugin installed into the user's music player. The profile data is then displayed on the user's profile page. The site offers numerous social networking features and can recommend and play artists similar to the user's favourites.
Users can create custom radio stations and playlists from any of the audio tracks in Last.fm's music library, and are able to listen to some individual tracks on demand, or download tracks if the rights holder has previously authorised it. Registration is required to acquire a profile but is not necessary to view any part of the site or to listen to radio stations.
After hearing much about this Web 2.0 music site, I finally explored the site and set up an account. I was actually much more impressed than I thought I would be. You can build up an extensive music library and listen to your self-created library radio stations. As you add artists to your library, you can add tags to that artist or band. Also, there are constant recommendation links that pop up at the bottom of the screen. For each artist, you can view news, photos, videos, play counts, and short biographies.
Zoho Writer
I was aware of Google docs and not with Zoho Writer. These are nice tools for someone who does not own Microsoft Office software.
I ran into some technical difficulties in publishing the document I created into this blog (it would not recognize my blog username or password.) I also then had difficulties importing the HTML I exported from the document. Hmmm, I will have to experiment further with these options.
I ran into some technical difficulties in publishing the document I created into this blog (it would not recognize my blog username or password.) I also then had difficulties importing the HTML I exported from the document. Hmmm, I will have to experiment further with these options.
Learning 2.0 Sandbox Wiki
My experience in the sandbox was brief. I think today I would prefer to go play out in the snow instead of in front of a computer...
Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki
Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki was created to be a one-stop shop for great ideas and information for all types of librarians. All over the world, librarians are developing successful programs and doing innovative things with technology that no one outside of their library knows about. There are lots of great blogs out there sharing information about the profession, but there is no one place where all of this information is collected and organized. Librarians are encouraged to share information about the profession through wiki entries or provide a link to outside coverage.
The wiki is not run by any commercial entity and does not represent any commercial interests. For those wishing to use content in the wiki, the wiki itself (and all the content contained herein) is licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons License.
The wiki provides shared information on: Communities, Conferences, Management and Leadership, Materials Selection and Collection Maintenance, Professional Concerns, Programming, Readers' Advisory, Reference Services and Information Literacy, Resource Sharing, "Selling Your Library," Training and Development, and Technology.
To a temporary place in time...
Dr Wendy Schultz begins her article on Web 2.0 and the future of libraries by writing:
What are libraries? Libraries are not just collections of documents and books, they are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange. Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities: they preserve and promote community memories; they provide mentors not only for the exploration of stored memory, but also for the creation of new artifacts of memory. What was the library of the past? A symbol of a society that cared about its attainments, that treasured ideas, that looked ahead multiple generations. Librarians were stewards, trainers, intimate with the knowledge base and the minds who produced it. Librarians today are not just inventory management biobots: they are people with a unique understanding of the documents they compile and catalog, and the relationships among those documents.
From there, Schutz compares the economical "chain of meaning" from commodity to product to service to experience with the progression of change within libraries. Written somewhat tongue-in-cheek, this article is an imaginative, creative look into the future of the library.
Commodity
Library 1.0 represents the library from Alexandria to the industrial era- Books are commodities, collected, inventoried, categorised and warehoused within libraries.
Product
Library 2.0 represents the library today: the library is everywhere, barrier-free, and participatory. Collaborate with Amazon; provide digital downloads of books; create a global, and globally accessible, catalog; invite readers to tag and comment.
Service
Library 3.0 represents the near future: as more information becomes more accessible, people will still need experienced tour guides—Amazon’s customer recommendations are notoriously open to manipulation; tagclouds offer diverse connections, not focussed expertise. This will drive the transition to Library 3.0: the 3D service...we arrive at virtual collections in the 3D world, where books themselves may have avatars and online personalities. But the avalanche of material available will put a premium on service, on tailoring information to needs, and on developing participatory relationships with customers. So while books may get in your 3D face all by themselves, people will prefer personal introductions—they will want a VR info coach. Who’s the best librarian avatar?
Experience
Library 4.0 represents the farther off future: Library 4.0 will not replace Libraries 1.0 through 3.0; it will absorb them. The library as aesthetic experience will have space for all the library’s incarnations: storage (archives, treasures); data retrieval (networks—reference rooms); and commentary and annotation (salon)... But Library 4.0 will add a new mode, knowledge spa: meditation, relaxation, immersion in a luxury of ideas and thought. In companies, this may take the form of retreat space for thought leaders, considered an investment in innovation; in public libraries, the luxurious details will require private partners as sponsors providing the sensory treats. Library 4.0 revives the old image of a country house library, and renovates it: from a retreat, a sanctuary, a pampered experience with information—subtle thoughts, fine words, exquisite brandy, smooth coffee, aromatic cigar, smell of leather, rustle of pages—to the dream economy’s library, the LIBRARY: a WiFREE space, a retreat from technohustle, with comfortable chairs, quiet, good light, coffee and single malt.
Schultz's article is intriguing and makes my mind really start to wander about future trends and what things will remain within the librray, what things will disappear, or what things will find themselves reappearing after a certain amount of time. I find Schultz's predictions very believable, and I think technology will still go a lot further before we start to revive what Schultz terms the "old image of a country house library."
What are libraries? Libraries are not just collections of documents and books, they are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange. Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities: they preserve and promote community memories; they provide mentors not only for the exploration of stored memory, but also for the creation of new artifacts of memory. What was the library of the past? A symbol of a society that cared about its attainments, that treasured ideas, that looked ahead multiple generations. Librarians were stewards, trainers, intimate with the knowledge base and the minds who produced it. Librarians today are not just inventory management biobots: they are people with a unique understanding of the documents they compile and catalog, and the relationships among those documents.
From there, Schutz compares the economical "chain of meaning" from commodity to product to service to experience with the progression of change within libraries. Written somewhat tongue-in-cheek, this article is an imaginative, creative look into the future of the library.
Commodity
Library 1.0 represents the library from Alexandria to the industrial era- Books are commodities, collected, inventoried, categorised and warehoused within libraries.
Product
Library 2.0 represents the library today: the library is everywhere, barrier-free, and participatory. Collaborate with Amazon; provide digital downloads of books; create a global, and globally accessible, catalog; invite readers to tag and comment.
Service
Library 3.0 represents the near future: as more information becomes more accessible, people will still need experienced tour guides—Amazon’s customer recommendations are notoriously open to manipulation; tagclouds offer diverse connections, not focussed expertise. This will drive the transition to Library 3.0: the 3D service...we arrive at virtual collections in the 3D world, where books themselves may have avatars and online personalities. But the avalanche of material available will put a premium on service, on tailoring information to needs, and on developing participatory relationships with customers. So while books may get in your 3D face all by themselves, people will prefer personal introductions—they will want a VR info coach. Who’s the best librarian avatar?
Experience
Library 4.0 represents the farther off future: Library 4.0 will not replace Libraries 1.0 through 3.0; it will absorb them. The library as aesthetic experience will have space for all the library’s incarnations: storage (archives, treasures); data retrieval (networks—reference rooms); and commentary and annotation (salon)... But Library 4.0 will add a new mode, knowledge spa: meditation, relaxation, immersion in a luxury of ideas and thought. In companies, this may take the form of retreat space for thought leaders, considered an investment in innovation; in public libraries, the luxurious details will require private partners as sponsors providing the sensory treats. Library 4.0 revives the old image of a country house library, and renovates it: from a retreat, a sanctuary, a pampered experience with information—subtle thoughts, fine words, exquisite brandy, smooth coffee, aromatic cigar, smell of leather, rustle of pages—to the dream economy’s library, the LIBRARY: a WiFREE space, a retreat from technohustle, with comfortable chairs, quiet, good light, coffee and single malt.
Schultz's article is intriguing and makes my mind really start to wander about future trends and what things will remain within the librray, what things will disappear, or what things will find themselves reappearing after a certain amount of time. I find Schultz's predictions very believable, and I think technology will still go a lot further before we start to revive what Schultz terms the "old image of a country house library."
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Technorati
Technorati is an internet search engine for locating blogs, competing with Google and Yahoo. Technorati currently indexes 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged media. Technorati uses and contributes to open source software.
There are several ways to search for blogs- through tags, through blog posts, or through the Blogger Directory. Search results vary considerably with each method. Depending on the topic, a certain search route might prove more effective.
Del.icio.us
I went ahead and set up a Del.icio.us account. After seeing more and more often the link to Del.icio.us along with RSS feeds at the bottom of web pages, it seemed like this is a tool gaining widespread popularity. (At this point, I must confess I do not see the necessity of this social bookmarking site. My current bookmarks within my browser seem to do an adequate job. However, perhaps over time I will see the added benefits of Del.icio.us...)
Rollyo Search Tool
I created a customized Rollyo Search Tool for Independent Music Labels, Distributors, and Magazines. Sites searched with my customized search tool include: Aquarius Records, Drag City Records, Fonal Records, De Stijl Records, Ecstatic Peace records, etc. I wanted to include further links to independent radio stations, but the customized tool had a limit of 25 URLs. Here is a link to my search tool:
http://rollyo.com/kbaird/independent_music/
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
LibraryThing
Although familiar with LibraryThing, I have never took the time to set up an account. This assignment gave me the chance to start using this online catalog site that can connect me with other like-minded readers to find more inspiring reads. Link to my small current book collection:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/KaBaird
My Neighbor Totoro!
I decided to generate an image from the Miyazaki anime classic "My Neighbor Totoro." Other images from this film can be found and downloaded at http://www.totoro.org/images-totoro.shtml
LISNews Blogs to Read
The blog LISNews has compiled lists of "Blogs to Read" for 2006, 2007, and 2008 (including feeds). Currently, LISNews is compiling the results for 2009. Here are the lists for the preceding years:
Blogs To Read for 2006
- The ALA Tech Blog
- Carnival of the Infosciences
- Lorcan Dempsey's blog
- A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette
- Catalgablog
- Library Marketing-Thinking Outside the Book
- The Kept-Up Academic Librarian
- Librarian.net
- Library Link Of The Day
- Conservator
Blogs to Read for 2007
1. Tame The Web
2. Conversational Reading
3. Tales from the "Liberry"
4. LibWorm
5. Ubiquitous Librarian
6. The Resourceshelf
7. Burger's Blog
8. Information Wants to Be Free
9. Musematic
10. YALSA
Blogs to Read for 2008
The Annoyed Librarian (Feed)
David Rothman (Feed)
iLibrarian (Feed)
Judge a Book by its Cover (Feed)
Law Librarian Blog (Feed)
Library Stuff (Feed)
Marylaine Block (Email list)
Off The Mark (Feed)
ResearchBuzz (Feed)
Stephen's Lighthouse (Feed)
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