Week 8, Thing 18 - Productivity Tools

The story posted above, "Journey to Ecuador," was created on Zoho Writer, a web-based writing tool. Because it is web-based, I am able to write and edit on any computer that supports the Internet and Zoho Writer's writing tool, JavaScript. It is amazingly easy to use - it has many of the same elements as Microsoft Word, and has more than 40 templates including resume writing and business labels. It has the added benefit of supporting collaboration - meaning that others can edit a piece with its wiki tool.

Thanks to Dimplemonkey who posted the "Streets of Quito" on Flickr's Creative Commons Attribution License web page.

Week 7, Thing 17 - PBWiki and the Sandbox

The "PBwiki", or Peanut Butter Wiki, is a wonderful site - it is so easy to add comments to a page and even add a link to another website. It was great fun writing in the "Sandbox" - especially about my favorite web page: Natural Resources Defense Council, and my favorite television shows: Spanish soap operas. However this wiki site has great potential and many uses for our Library.

How might I use wikis in my work at the Library?

Please check out my posting below for Week 7, Thing 16 - it is on "Wikis" and there I posted my thoughts on how we might use this tool in our Library.

Week 7, Thing 16 - Wiki

"Wiki" is a Hawaiian term meaning very fast. Within the world of technology, it is a tool where the users are able to edit information on a "collaborative website." The key to success is in using the knowledge base of the community of users. It is interesting to see how libraries have incorporated this tool into their community's website.

Adding a book review "wiki" enhances the reading list of any user. Princeton Public Library has a delightful Booklovers Wiki which enables their customers to read and write reviews. Ohio University set up a business "wiki" called Biz Wiki where members of their community can search business information from Internet sites to databases. This site can be continually updated by the community instead of having one librarian and/or webmaster make the changes to the enormous knowledge base they have created. Meredith Farkas from Norwich University also suggests using "wikis" to manage meetings. She suggests that agendas be posted on a "wiki" enabling the thoughtful sharing of ideas prior to the meetings.

Here at San Jose Library, two possible "wikis" come to mind: First, there is a need for communication between Library Clerks. It would be nice to have a "wiki" about our circulation rules and processing techniques. The shared knowledge would enable us to have a manual that would continuously be updated by our Library Clerk community. It would be a great asset for new incoming clerks and it may streamline processing for seasoned clerks. Second, since we all are doing so much work to upgrade ourselves on technological "things," we need to keep up the momentum by having a Technology Wiki. Everyone in our Library community can have their eyes and ears to the monitor to share the new things developed in the world of technology - today.

Week 6, Thing 15 - Perspectives on Library 2.0

In "Away from the Icebergs," Rick Anderson illustrates that there are three "potential disasters" that "threaten" the "future success" of libraries. The first is in building a collection of material, in print, when Web 2.0 leads the customer toward expecting "access to everything." Second, the "reliance" on "teaching research skills" when there is a "need to focus our efforts" on "eliminating the barriers that exist between (customers)...and the information they need." Third, is the "come to us model of library service." "The post-print era" changes the paradigm by "placing library services and content in the user's preferred environment...integrating" the "services into their daily patterns of work, study and play." Rick Anderson continues by stating that there is a need to "adapt to a radical fundamental change in the marketplace...one library at a time."

To facilitate access, Anderson states, "people need to be able to learn how to use something on their own." Especially since the ratio between Librarians and community is so great. Customers need to spend less time searching and more time "actually reading and learning."

Anderson brought up some interesting points regarding the future of libraries in a "post-print era." Knowledge, shared on the Internet, grows exponentially, and yet it has made our world and the understanding of it seem smaller and much more integrated.

The Library 2.0 is a library integrated on every level. It means database providers working together to develop interfaces that are user friendly - integrating the best possible search pages and developing uniformed search methods. It means using sites like Del.icio.us to integrate postings of the web - using tags to enhance the web based searches. It means developing uniform tag codings for libraries when using web based information. It means the sharing of information between libraries to enable customers to "access (almost) everything." It means active listening to the world around us from the business community to the customer who uses our services. It means customers sharing their vision and knowledge in developing the library of the future - today.

Week 6, Thing 14 - Technorati

As Web 2.0 changes the Internet paradigm, "Technorati" serves as the directory for the "World Live Web." "Technorati" uses keyword searching and tags for blogs, pictures, videos and other Internet sites using "user-generated content."

With "Technorati," you can search words within a post, or with a tag, or through the Directory. Each search results in a different, although related, list of postings. In searching the term Learning 2.0, the Directory shows a list of topics by their tags and a list of 310 blogs; the "tag" search shows 254 blogs and 85 photos that match the search words; and the keyword search uncovers 34,614 blogs with words matching the Learning 2.0 search. Interesting to note: The search separated "Learning" and "2.0" - searching the phrase as two different keywords. It would be a nice added feature to be able to do a keyword phrase search within quotes, for example: "Learning 2.0." or using a "+" between terms - as you use in "Technorati's" tagging rules, for example: Learning+2.0. This may capture postings that relate more specifically to a topic.

Having searched, with tags, on Flickr and Del.icio.us and "Technorati," it is evident that there are advantages in using tags to categorize postings. The "World Live Web" sees "1.6 million posts per day." To find some semblance of order, tags create an avenue from where you can begin a search. However, folksonomy or tagging can also have its disadvantages, for instance, words may have more than one meaning. Tagging is also assigned by the user and may reflect the users experience and understanding. Therefore, the postings that result, from a search, may not reflect the topic assigned under a specific tag. But then, do to the sheer volume of postings, tagging is a useful tool for searching topics on the web.

SJLibrary2.0
Technorati
Blogging
Web2.0
Learning2.0

Week 6, Thing 13 - Del.icio.us

As a social bookmarking and tagging tool, the "Del.icio.us" website is simply amazing. Since it is web based, you can look at your bookmarks from any computer that provides Internet services. However, the power is in how it organizes and categorizes and then shares bookmarks.

The key is in folksonomy or tagging. These tools categorize web pages and information retrieved from an unlimited resource - the Internet. Although tagging is "unstructured and freeform," and driven by the choices of its users, tagging can help categorize topics.

The bookmarking and tagging capability on "Del.icio.us" makes it an asset as a reference tool. You can keep links to materials you find on the Internet - including articles. You can also see how others categorize or tag articles of interest to you. In sharing bookmarks, you can connect to other users bookmarks and find articles that may be important for your research. Sharing bookmarks and tags is the key to the power of "Del.icio.us"

In searching through Library sites that use "Del.icio.us,"I found the San Mateo Public Library's "Del.icio.us" page. Under their "libraries" tag, I found a fascinating link to the British Library. I was able to use "Turning the Page" to leaf through sketches in one of Leonardo's notebooks and listen to music from work penned by Mozart. Libraries can use this social bookmarking site to help bookmark and catagorize web information that would be of interest to their customers. It is in sharing the bookmarks that Libraries are able to work together in discovering sites and articles of interest.

Week 5, Thing 12 - Rollyo

I was intrigued by the idea of creating my own search tool for websites. For me, searching the web for election information has been massive - so I created a "Rollyo" on U.S. Elections. To find sites I "know and trust," I researched "Web links by Subject" within our sjlibrary.org website. I used the "Government & Law" button and searched under "Elections & Voting" and "Politics." I found some links including the link to the Librarian's Internet Index. At that site, I was able to find a number of web links under "Government," "Politics," and "Elections." I chose links I knew such as c-span.org, gpoaccess.gov, vote-smart.org, lwv.org (League of Women Voters); I also chose some sites because they were recommended by the Librarian's Internet Index. They included politics1.com, factcheck.org, and thisnation.com. I deliberately did not include news sites, because as a society we have tremendous access to daily news reports. My "Rollyo" is posted to the right.

Week 5, Thing 11 - Web 2.0 Awards

My search of the Web 2.0 awards list brought me to the "Mashups and More" category - to a website called "The Supreme Court." I reviewed the site for content thinking that it might be a useful tool at our Reference desk - after all - it received five stars for content quality.

My first concern, as I opened the site, were the four links to Wikipedia within a box labeled "Do Some Research." However, within the same research box, Todd Levy, the site creator, also included links to the U.S. Supreme Court's official site, and the Government Printing Office's U.S. Supreme Court's Opinions Database. There were also a dichotomy of stories within the "News Stories" tab: Some stories regarded the impact on the law and others were filled with tales of gossip. The "Web Links" tab included a link to the PBS Supreme Court site, but also had a number of John Roberts postings - only the John Roberts they spoke of wasn't the Chief Justice, but an employee for Open DNS (A new Domain Name System (DNS) for the Internet.). Under the "Blog Entries" tab, Technorati tags were used for "Supreme Court." Unfortunately, this included blogs concerning the Supreme Court in Canada, the Republic of Croatia, and the state of Missouri.

Based on these findings, I would not recommend this site as a reference tool.

Week 5, Thing 10 - Generators

Trying a number of "Generators" from the Generator Blog, I discovered Celtic cross stitch, glitter writers, poetry writers, anagrams, even the alphabet soup word generator. Using another Creative Commons Attribution License Flickr picture, I found "Color!!!" uploaded by extranoise. I transformed the image with the Kaleidoscope Generator.

This is the link to the Kaleidoscope Generator:

http://krazydad.com/makeyourown/index.php

Week 4, Thing 9 - Aggregators

"News feeds" or "aggregators" are tremendous tools for information on local, national and world news. Topic.net is wonderful for searching a variety of topics that are news related. It is so easy to use: I searched "North Korea nuclear" and found the latest information on the negotiations. I was able to find "RSS" buttons and included NPR, CNN and CBS to my Bloglines.

As an "aggregator," Syndic8.com did not have substantial postings. I searched under "categories" and found "reference" that led me to "Library and Information Science," however, the end result of the search was three blogs. This site of "RSS" feeds relies on users submitted information and lacked the boundless information that is available today.

"Feed readers" or "aggregators" that are blogs are more difficult to sift through. They lack editorial comment - as in most items posted on the Internet. However, for a democracy (or republic) blogs are tremendous sources for the most creative thoughts and ideas. It has been an interesting journey and I am...

Week 4, Thing 8 - RSS Feeds

"Really Simple Syndication" (RSS) is an amazing tool! The "news readers" are so quick and simple -- I'm sailing with the San Jose Mercury News. It is also so exciting that our Library's Ebsco databases will carry RSS, too! What a tremendous research tool!!

My Bloglines URL is: http://www.bloglines.com/public/sailing