Thursday, June 30, 2011
21st Century Library Catalog: NCSU
I tend to agree with this article in that the major problem was the difficulty of searching by subject. So often narrowing down a search term seems next to impossible. And, with the differences in language, not all terms mean the same to all people. A few features that are discussed which seem great are the "auto-correction of mispelled words" and browsing the catalog without entering a search term. Having the "browse titles by subject" screen is also a benefit. This article was published in 2006. I wonder why more online catalogs aren't more like this?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
7 Twitter Rules You Must Ignore
Thanks for sharing this article Alessandro! I've been playing catch up and toying around on Twitter with the hash tag feature. I think I finally got it! But I liked this article because it does bring up many myths. One in particular is the one stating that twitter is not for businesses. I could see twitter being a great tool for the supermarket industry (my husband's business): tweet when prices are going up (he constantly tells me when to stock up on items as he hears when prices are going up with or without packaging getting smaller!); tweet a link to the new weekly sales flyer; tweet to announce a new location or special sale. Can you imagine the boost on twitter if a customer who refered to a specific tweet got a special sale price? It beats having to have a special card!
LibGuide
To answer Loraine's comment about LibGuides ~
The students in Cheryl McCarthy's 527 and 520 classes were given an account to use from SpringShare's GSLIS courtesy account. The tool is really awesome and can be as creative as you want it to be ... videos, podcasts, pictures, text, surveys; basically anything can be added. I highly recommend it, especially for those frequently occuring questions.
For those who get the opportunity to use this, enjoy!
The students in Cheryl McCarthy's 527 and 520 classes were given an account to use from SpringShare's GSLIS courtesy account. The tool is really awesome and can be as creative as you want it to be ... videos, podcasts, pictures, text, surveys; basically anything can be added. I highly recommend it, especially for those frequently occuring questions.
For those who get the opportunity to use this, enjoy!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Net Vibes
As I just mentioned in my previous blog, I have not had too much of an opportunity to test tagging sites, but, in viewing the 8 Tech Trends article, I jumped on NetVibes which is a "dashboard" for social media. I was able to add my twitter account, local weather, local news, and epicurious recipes. Let's see what I can find out later ....
Long Time Away, but NOT Forgotten
Good evening fellow 597ers! It's been a long week and one where I have not had much time to chat as often as I would have liked. I am finishing up LSC 527 (along with Laura and Katie) and could not believe the amount of work and focus that was required! In any event, Rachel and I are "off to the farm"' tomorrow for our lesson presentation and then my focus will be here once again.
That said, during 527 I was able to reflect on a plethora of social media outlets. A majority of what were were discussing was utilizing the new social media in libraries. We created LibGuides which is so cool! So long pathfinders! We researched and evaluated websites ~ mostly academic, but there are a few elementary/secondary districts that are already on board with the changes we are facing. I found two good elementary websites for those who want to check them out:
That said, during 527 I was able to reflect on a plethora of social media outlets. A majority of what were were discussing was utilizing the new social media in libraries. We created LibGuides which is so cool! So long pathfinders! We researched and evaluated websites ~ mostly academic, but there are a few elementary/secondary districts that are already on board with the changes we are facing. I found two good elementary websites for those who want to check them out:
http://www.holliston.k12.ma.us/miller/miller.htm . I think Katie found one too, but I will let her share that with you. The Holliston website intrigued me months ago as they have student podcasts; the Belfair Library was really neat because it encompasses eBooks and blogging, as well as homework tutorials.
I have been reading up on tagging, but have not had too much opportunity to take a test tag ... but will be doing so in the immediate future!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Always On
After reading and pondering the issues raised in the "Always On" article, I was quite startled to hear on the news that a movie theatre is banning cell phone use by teens for rude and unruly behavior during show times. With all the positive attributes mobile communication devices have, I find myself still troubled by the new generation - those that have grown up in the digital age and how they deal with common courtesy in everyday life.
Lorcan Dempsey in this article shared a thought that is new to me. Yes, it's the young that are more apt to gravitate towards new technology, and they are using the technology not only for entertainment, games and media, but also to reach out to parents and older relatives for support, i.e., letting a parent know they are staying after school, where they can be reached, etc. I recall years ago a friend stating to someone who had to contact their child on a cell phone, "What kind of parent are you if don't know where your child is." I agreed back then, but, having three children of my own, working and going to school, knowing where they are is not always a given fact.
But then you have to wonder how much use is too much. Do we really need to use a cell phone in the grocery store? Dempsey also addresses the need to set expectations on mobile device usage. This is clear in the instance in the movie theatre instance mentioned above. In this case, Great Escape theatres in Harrisburg is not admitting anyone under 17 to movies that begin after 9:00 pm without a guardian due to a number of complaints for unruly behavior, rude language and bad manners in the theatre. Interestingly enough, this is not the only theatre that is resorting to such limitations; Kerasotes Theatres in Indiana, Colorado and Illinois have done similar. At least in theatres, movies cost enough money; to add the nuisances of some cell phone etiquette (or lack thereof) would certainly make me upset.
When it comes down to it, being "Always On" is not always the best. And this is not just for the young, but for all ages. Everyone needs to remember to be respectful and mindful to where they are and what they are doing.
Lorcan Dempsey in this article shared a thought that is new to me. Yes, it's the young that are more apt to gravitate towards new technology, and they are using the technology not only for entertainment, games and media, but also to reach out to parents and older relatives for support, i.e., letting a parent know they are staying after school, where they can be reached, etc. I recall years ago a friend stating to someone who had to contact their child on a cell phone, "What kind of parent are you if don't know where your child is." I agreed back then, but, having three children of my own, working and going to school, knowing where they are is not always a given fact.
But then you have to wonder how much use is too much. Do we really need to use a cell phone in the grocery store? Dempsey also addresses the need to set expectations on mobile device usage. This is clear in the instance in the movie theatre instance mentioned above. In this case, Great Escape theatres in Harrisburg is not admitting anyone under 17 to movies that begin after 9:00 pm without a guardian due to a number of complaints for unruly behavior, rude language and bad manners in the theatre. Interestingly enough, this is not the only theatre that is resorting to such limitations; Kerasotes Theatres in Indiana, Colorado and Illinois have done similar. At least in theatres, movies cost enough money; to add the nuisances of some cell phone etiquette (or lack thereof) would certainly make me upset.
When it comes down to it, being "Always On" is not always the best. And this is not just for the young, but for all ages. Everyone needs to remember to be respectful and mindful to where they are and what they are doing.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Twitter Account
OMG! Can't believe it's real! I have a twitter account listed as "jao7269". I've started my list of 5 organizations/people to follow with: "goodreads" because I'm always looking for a good read, even though my bag is forever overflowing; "cnnbrk" or CNN breaking news to keep in touch with reality; and "peoplemag" for People magazine to keep in touch with fantasy land.
I hope to add a few friends too ~ any other suggestions are welcome!!
I hope to add a few friends too ~ any other suggestions are welcome!!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Blogs, Mashups, & Wikis ~ Bruce W. Dearstyne, Ph.D.
I never thought I would say this, but I love blogging! I just have to find the time to keep up with everyone else's blogs. That said, I focused on wikis in this article. In regards to Web 2.0, I am in "the entertainers" category, and hope to quickly move into "the search for techniques to foster more productive use of information" category as well as "the rising importance of knowledge workers" category.
Regarding Blogs, I love the fact that I can post something and if someone wants to read it, they can. Similar to an email that can be deleted if it's not relevant, blogs can put the information out there for those who are interested. I think it was Danah Boyd in the "Culture of Connectivity" video that stated just because it's on a blog, doesn't mean that it's being followed. I do often have things that I need to tell a vast amount of people, from different avenues of my life: home, family, school, work, kids, etc. It would have been so easy, say when relaying obituary information or Lindsey's softball/Arianna's theatre/recital information, to post it on my blog instead of going through email contact lists in the hopes that I wouldn's miss anyone. Of course, making sure that others are following is key, and is something to work towards in the future: getting the word about blogs out there.
For wikis, I could see this coming in quite handy in law firms, my prior occupation. I can't tell you how many trees were destroyed by the endless amount of paper copies of documents being faxed to and from firms with input. Of course, it got to be frustrating when those changes, marked in red on one end, came out the standard black and white on the receivers end. My only concern with this is the control over who is editing/inputing the information, basically the security of the information. I was glad to see that this issue was addressed under policy management. I am eager to review the blogs from the "knowledgeable people" listed in this article.
Regarding Blogs, I love the fact that I can post something and if someone wants to read it, they can. Similar to an email that can be deleted if it's not relevant, blogs can put the information out there for those who are interested. I think it was Danah Boyd in the "Culture of Connectivity" video that stated just because it's on a blog, doesn't mean that it's being followed. I do often have things that I need to tell a vast amount of people, from different avenues of my life: home, family, school, work, kids, etc. It would have been so easy, say when relaying obituary information or Lindsey's softball/Arianna's theatre/recital information, to post it on my blog instead of going through email contact lists in the hopes that I wouldn's miss anyone. Of course, making sure that others are following is key, and is something to work towards in the future: getting the word about blogs out there.
For wikis, I could see this coming in quite handy in law firms, my prior occupation. I can't tell you how many trees were destroyed by the endless amount of paper copies of documents being faxed to and from firms with input. Of course, it got to be frustrating when those changes, marked in red on one end, came out the standard black and white on the receivers end. My only concern with this is the control over who is editing/inputing the information, basically the security of the information. I was glad to see that this issue was addressed under policy management. I am eager to review the blogs from the "knowledgeable people" listed in this article.
Facebook Privacy Settings
To start, I am not a Facebook fan. I am cringing at the thought of using it later in this class. But I did get a chuckle as I read the article by Nick O'Neill about privacy settings and Facebook. I concur with Lisa Jeffries, Kris, and HalTred: for ultimate privacy: avoid facebook all together!
Seriously, when reading the 10 ways, I could find a similarity with using a regular email account:
1) use your friend lists: what is the difference between this and your email contact list? And, you can form group email lists with email.
2) remove yourself from facebook results: if you aren't on facebook, you don't have to remove yourself and your personal information will stay that - personal.
3) remove yourself from Google: if you do this, why would you sign up to begin with? As far as photos, I know Verizon now has the capabilities of adding pictures as your image.
4) Photo mistake: again, if it's not put on the site, it's not published and shown to the world. There's always someone who knows how to hack into computers - just don't post it!
5) protect your albums - seriously? I have mine protected nicely in an album for all family and other visitors to the house can view.
6) prevent stories from showing up on your friends' news: again, for important matters, word can spread around just as easily via telephone, email or other verbal conversation.
7) published application stories: I agree with Nick: "I'm a bit confused about that ["Have Sex!"] application." Aren't there other avenues to seek relationships online without worrying who in your contact list will find out?
8) make your contact information private: why put it in your profile if you want it private?
9) avoid embarrassing wall posts: why add someone as a friend if you are then going to control who can and cannot post on your site?
10) keep your friendships private: this is the best one .... all I did was put my hometown and graduation year and I have just under 100 "friends" that want to be "friends" and I only know about 5 of them ..... 3 of which I would never "friend" them if they were the last people on earth. Again, Facebook is used to reach out to those that you haven't seen or heard from in ages. Why join at all if you want to keep everything private?
In conclusion, I'm usually open to new avenues. And, I did create an account for this class. I just don't see the relevancy of using Facebook. If I want someone to know anything about me, I'll use my email list or telephone. I have occasionally written letters to older friends to keep them up to date. It just seems like a lot of work when there are other avenues to keep in contact with people.
But, I will try to keep an open mind and will update if something changes my mind .....
Seriously, when reading the 10 ways, I could find a similarity with using a regular email account:
1) use your friend lists: what is the difference between this and your email contact list? And, you can form group email lists with email.
2) remove yourself from facebook results: if you aren't on facebook, you don't have to remove yourself and your personal information will stay that - personal.
3) remove yourself from Google: if you do this, why would you sign up to begin with? As far as photos, I know Verizon now has the capabilities of adding pictures as your image.
4) Photo mistake: again, if it's not put on the site, it's not published and shown to the world. There's always someone who knows how to hack into computers - just don't post it!
5) protect your albums - seriously? I have mine protected nicely in an album for all family and other visitors to the house can view.
6) prevent stories from showing up on your friends' news: again, for important matters, word can spread around just as easily via telephone, email or other verbal conversation.
7) published application stories: I agree with Nick: "I'm a bit confused about that ["Have Sex!"] application." Aren't there other avenues to seek relationships online without worrying who in your contact list will find out?
8) make your contact information private: why put it in your profile if you want it private?
9) avoid embarrassing wall posts: why add someone as a friend if you are then going to control who can and cannot post on your site?
10) keep your friendships private: this is the best one .... all I did was put my hometown and graduation year and I have just under 100 "friends" that want to be "friends" and I only know about 5 of them ..... 3 of which I would never "friend" them if they were the last people on earth. Again, Facebook is used to reach out to those that you haven't seen or heard from in ages. Why join at all if you want to keep everything private?
In conclusion, I'm usually open to new avenues. And, I did create an account for this class. I just don't see the relevancy of using Facebook. If I want someone to know anything about me, I'll use my email list or telephone. I have occasionally written letters to older friends to keep them up to date. It just seems like a lot of work when there are other avenues to keep in contact with people.
But, I will try to keep an open mind and will update if something changes my mind .....
Sunday, June 5, 2011
What a Wonderful Weekend
Hello fellow 597ers! Hope you are enjoying the fabulous weather we are finally having! I've taken a short break from school work to play both Mom and Dad to the girls - attending/coaching softball, transporting from a Six Flags fieldtrip, cutting the grass, cleaning the house, and so on. Kevin's in Orlando on a business trip until Tuesday.
Anyway, just thought I'd let you know that I've added a section called "In the Book Bag" and lists the current books in my book bag. Feel free to share any thoughts if you've read any of them! It's quite a mix: YA (so I can finally finish that log!); adult (two books Lindsey bought me at the Book Fair for Mother's Day); two books for this course and two for the next two summer session classes.
Anyway, just thought I'd let you know that I've added a section called "In the Book Bag" and lists the current books in my book bag. Feel free to share any thoughts if you've read any of them! It's quite a mix: YA (so I can finally finish that log!); adult (two books Lindsey bought me at the Book Fair for Mother's Day); two books for this course and two for the next two summer session classes.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Culture of Connectivity
I thought this was a very interesting clip on the effects of media in teaching. John Palfrey states that even though this generation of students are born digital, it's important to realize and understand that not all students have equal abilities in the use of social media. This is true in all areas, not just socioeconomic factors as he states. He also states the importance of knowing that there is a huge growth with kids and this type of media.
I was truly engaged in listening to Danah Boyd speak. I vaguely recall her name listed on some of my more recent research articles (although I'm not 100% positive as I read so many.) She had quite a bit of information that is so true and easy to understand. I felt more at ease when she came out and stated that just because something's posted, doesn't mean it's being read. She made me chuckle when she said that most content that is read is if it is embarassing, humiliating, sexual, or grotesque. How true! But my most favorite part of her speech was at the end when she states "the more we refuse to acknowledge the outside world, the more irrelevant we make ourselves in this [teaching] environment." I have seen so many instances in my own school district where teachers don't want to change or explore what's new and exciting. And it's effecting the students, no matter what age. As Danah states, we, as teachers, have to be more open to change and exploring the outside world, especially with the young coming to us to try to understand what is going on in society. We need to help students explore and understand the world as it changes. Yes, things are changing rapidly, but we already have a lead in the race with our prior knowledge. Unless we keep up ourselves with the everchanging world, we will quickly find ourselves being lost in the shuffle.
I was truly engaged in listening to Danah Boyd speak. I vaguely recall her name listed on some of my more recent research articles (although I'm not 100% positive as I read so many.) She had quite a bit of information that is so true and easy to understand. I felt more at ease when she came out and stated that just because something's posted, doesn't mean it's being read. She made me chuckle when she said that most content that is read is if it is embarassing, humiliating, sexual, or grotesque. How true! But my most favorite part of her speech was at the end when she states "the more we refuse to acknowledge the outside world, the more irrelevant we make ourselves in this [teaching] environment." I have seen so many instances in my own school district where teachers don't want to change or explore what's new and exciting. And it's effecting the students, no matter what age. As Danah states, we, as teachers, have to be more open to change and exploring the outside world, especially with the young coming to us to try to understand what is going on in society. We need to help students explore and understand the world as it changes. Yes, things are changing rapidly, but we already have a lead in the race with our prior knowledge. Unless we keep up ourselves with the everchanging world, we will quickly find ourselves being lost in the shuffle.
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