Optional Exploration - YouTube & User Created Content

I worked on all of the optional exercises all at once. How fun! I will report on them separately now.

YouTube and podcasts provide a cheaper way to create visual content and distribute it widely. Since we don't really do much of that now, there is a lot of potential. And we could incorporate it into our web page easily.

Online programming is an idea that was floated before, but never came to fruition. YouTube seems like a simple way to make this type of programming available.

I love the idea of virtual tours of the library and other aspects of the library (how to use databases, etc...). For the self-service patron, they could view the video and know exactly where to go. Having some of these simple questions answered ahead of time by the video would then free staff to spend more time on more in-depth questions. Camtasia is a start, but what is lacks visually is a possibility with YouTube.

Of course, the downside is that we potentially lose the personal contact with patrons. However, I would say that the videos could actually make make librarians more approachable because we have reached out to patrons in a new way and possibly reaching virtual patrons who would not otherwise have come to us.

YouTube and similar resources can also be a gold mine when answering questions. I sometimes remind myself that the visual element is much better for people who are visual learners or have difficulty reading. Particularly when learning how to do something, a video can be better than a written explanation. And some content available is historical, such as news reports from the past documenting a breaking story.

Patrons are generating content all the time, often on our computers. So it is definitely good to be aware of these. It is also becoming a greater expectation of patrons to be able to contribute content. So how could patrons contrubute content to the library? It may be a scary thought...giving up that much control. But this is something that we should consider for the future.

Exploration 8 - Social Bookmarking & Folksonomies

Of all of the tools, I find this to be the most useful of all! I participated in online training for delicious and have been using it for a while now both personally and professionally. I love the fact that I can find my "bookmarks" anywhere and have been saved many times by that. My organization skills are not the best, and I find electronic organization easier. But the tagging on web sites is even better than just electronic folders. I love being able to put things in more than one catgeory and still be able to find them, particularly since I often select a tag that means something to me (and probably nobody else). I even use it to mark sites that I want to get back to and explore later. I admit that I don't use the social aspect...seeing what others put on their delicious accounts...but that is always an option.

Surprisingly, this is something I have not promoted heavily with patrons for their personal use. This, despite the fact that we have many patrons whose only internet access is at the library. Portable bookmarks would be perfect for them since they are always moving from computer to computer, and sometimes between branches. I should definitely make a bigger effort to promote delicious with patrons.

At my branch, we have used our branch delicious account, but not extensively. It has been great for quick access to those sites that come in handy on an irregular basis.

I know that some libraries have started using delicious as the equivalent of our Recommended Sites. This serves as a great marketing tool and online presence, and on the cheap. When you consider the social angle, this means we would be reaching out to our virtual users, as they could subscribe to AACPL. When some new topic or issue of popular interest arises, we can add a few new sites and it would be brought to patrons' attention quite quickly. What potential!

Now moving on. I'm almost done!

Exploration 7 - Wikis

I have some experience viewing and contributing to (but not setting up) wikis through personal interests and library work. To me, the best thing about wikis is that everything is in one place. I can definitely see where it is helpful for collaborative efforts, allowing access from anywhere (with internet access) and for storing information electronically. And the fact that it is easy to use makes it that much better! The only downside I see is the login requirement. I understand the need to keep things secure, but wish there were some way to eliminate the need to log in. I would love to have quicker access the information I want. (Has the internet made me this impatient?)

I have been considering establishing a wiki for our branch to store and provide easy access to branch information and documents. We have some print manuals, which have their place, but electronic can sometimes be easier to access. And it would save paper, too! The biggest challenge would be keeping it up to date, but it shouldn't be too much harder than doing it on paper...it might actually be easier.

I have been impressed with some of our library wikis and I am pleased that more HDQ departments are using wikis. As a system, could we move to this? We would be putting more things in the cloud...

But now I must move on...

test-doc

Natalie Edington

August 26, 2009

 

This is my first time using Zoho.  It's pretty neat!  It looks like it is pretty easy to use, particularly if you are familiar with MS Word or other word processing tools.  I'm not sure what else to say at this point, but I think this many lines and sentences is enough to make a paragraph.

 

And now...think cool thoughts...

 

 

But since it is really the end of summer and time for back to school...

 

School supplies

• Backpack
• Folders
• Notebooks
• Pencils
• Scissors
• Crayons

 

Markers	Composition books	Erasers
Lunchbox	Binders	Dividers
Paper	Ruler	Calculator
Pens	Stapler	New clothes!

 

 

Exploration 6 - Online Office Tools

This is my first time using Zoho. It's pretty neat! I used the Zoho Writer and posted my document to my blog. (Very easy! But I did learn that the blog entries are posted in the order they are started, and not the order they are published, which is why the document appears above and not below.) I also played a little bit with Zoho Sheet and Zoho Show.

One disadvantage that I can see is that although they have a lot of features, some are not there. So for the advanced user or someone who creates elaborate documents, this may not work. I noticed that the undo button sometimes takes a few tries...a quirk or a feature? Personally, the disadvantage is that I use too many Ctrl key functions automatically, and they don't do the same in Zoho as they do in MS Word, as I found out. Oops!

However, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It feels pretty intuitive and looks like it is pretty easy to use, particularly if you are familiar with Microsoft products. The portability is nice, since you can access your files anywhere that you have internet access. And the sharing features sound useful and could be helpful for committee work. It would certainly reduce bandwidth use of sending documents via e-mail. Love the tagging in Zoho Writer, rather than folders. I guess this would also be a step toward pushing things into the cloud. The welcome document really shows that they are working toward what users want, which is always comforting.

I can definitely think of some patrons who could use Zoho. It would give them access to documents from any computer and they wouldn't leave their disk/USB drive behind to be stolen! I thought a downside would be no templates for resumes, but they have them, too! This could also be an alternative for patrons looking for Excel or PowerPoint. And it provides a means of posting fancier things on a blog.

Definitely a tool to keep in mind!

Exploration 5 - LibraryThing

I usually like tools that can be used to manage book lists. LibraryThing is definitely an easy way to do that. I found it simple to use and the tags and folders make it easy for me to find any books that I add. As always, I would need to keep up with adding content...a neverending challenge.

As for library use, I can think of a few ideas for LibraryThing or similar tools. If we wanted to maintain system booklists we could do that. However, Aquabrowser now fills that need. We could show patrons how to use LibraryThing to manage their own booklists. To provide personalized service to patrons, we could maintain booklists for them. It could be a team/branch effort to add suggested titles to the list for those patrons who are always looking for a good read. And don't patrons always ask us to remember what they read anyway? :) Since Library by Mail does (I believe?) maintain records of what people have read, this may be a good tool for them to use. It could also be a great way to create a branch or system-wide staff recommends that could be available for viewing by the public.

Since books are still our business, I'm sure there are other possibilities. But that is all that I can come up with right now.

Oh yeah...and you can find my LibraryThing at CheckMeOut. (Can you tell I'm having trouble keeping all of my accounts straight? I'm now trying to simplify.) It's a small step (and a little random), but hopefully the beginning of something that will grow!

Exploration 4 - RSS

Imagine my surprise when I tried to set up a Bloglines account and discovered that someone had already used my e-mail address! Then I remembered that long ago when I was on a committee looking at new technologies, I set up a Bloglines account. At the time, I did not see a compelling need for the tool. This feeling was clearly demonstrated by my neglect of Bloglines!

Now, skip along to the present. With my current personal and professional interests, and my inability to keep up with visiting various web sites, I can certainly see a use for RSS feeds and feed readers. Although I tend to like everything pushed to my e-mail inbox (I need it in my face, or it is forgotten), this would be too overwhelming. The feed reader allows me to keep it all in one place, but a separate place from my e-mail.

I played with both Bloglines and GoogleReader. I'm still getting used to the look and feel of each, but overall they are both fairly easy to use. The plain format means it lacks character (compared to the actual site) and it takes some getting used to. As I added new feeds, I kept thinking of more to add. It was kind of addictive! Since I have more interest in using RSS feeds, I may actually keep up with it this time. But even this can become overwhelming. We'll see...

For library staff, RSS feeds are certainly a great way to keep up with library trends and ideas. Perhaps this is even more important now that our budget is limiting our participation in training and conferences.

For patrons, we do already offer RSS feeds through AquaBrowser. We could offer RSS feeds for other updates and information about the library--programs, new databases, etc...

Overall, I think this is a useful tool!