I am listening to TSO (that is Trans-Siberian Orchestra to those oblivious. Can't wait for Jan. 5th.) I am ready for snow and a roaring wood fire. I have enjoyed this semester learning about the different web technologies, especially Flickr and del.icio.us and of course blogging. I don't know if I will ever get the hang of typing del.icio.us without pause. Good thing all I have to do is click on the icon on my toolbar. I think that our library would benefit from a blog or wiki or both. Flickr with the tagging and sets would be great to keep track of the events at the library, with the ability to know who each person is in the pics from the tagging... not to mention the ability for the pics to be private too. Del.icio.us is good for reference info. I had trouble the last two years in finding a particular site and if I could find it and mark it in del.icio.us I would not have that problem. I also like the ability to have all the bookmarks available on any computer. At circ, we move from computer to computer, and the reference desk is just off the circ desk. The rss feeds are great to get updates for current information. Blogs are great in so many ways. Current and upcoming events, contact info, post book reviews and feedback.
Wikis and blogs are similar and I still would have to determine what would be best for our library, both have similar qualities, though there is more layout options with wikis. Both offer an outlet for feedback and comments. Both could have book reviews by patrons. I will have to play around more with both.
This class so far has opened new technology that I can use at home and work. And I will use some of them. See you next semester.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Wikis
Our library does not have a wiki page, however, there is an entry on Verona, WI with an external link to the city's web site. Our library website is connected to the city's site.
I am unsure if it would be of enough use for our staff to use a wiki. I do like how St Joseph's has created subject guides with examples of books, with pictures, for each guide. That would be useful for patrons.
With any technology, and with any we learned about this semester, the patrons have to be aware that it is out there.
A wiki could be good for readers advisory, as the sandbox demonstrates, for authors, titles, and series. If the wiki was public instead of staff only, even the patrons would be able to add to the community information as to do book reviews or the title/author/series list that we did. If I had a wiki, I would have each book title be a link to a book review. Others could add their comments or add their own reviews, rate each book with stars, like Librarything.
Anyone reading the reading group selection, but does not make it to the the discussions could comment on the book on the wiki. Or those that attended.
No limits. At minimum, a library wiki entry could give info and pictures about the library, the community and its history. For computer users, we could have links to often used web sites.
Patrons and visitors could post comments on the library like a guest book. We are a tourist site. Our library has three or four WOWs. Patrons bring their out of town guests to our library. I have too.
I am not sure if I would like patrons updating and changing things on a wiki that was about our library, unless it was about a book. I think for some things I am more comfortable with the blog idea than the wiki if it is public.
I am unsure if it would be of enough use for our staff to use a wiki. I do like how St Joseph's has created subject guides with examples of books, with pictures, for each guide. That would be useful for patrons.
With any technology, and with any we learned about this semester, the patrons have to be aware that it is out there.
A wiki could be good for readers advisory, as the sandbox demonstrates, for authors, titles, and series. If the wiki was public instead of staff only, even the patrons would be able to add to the community information as to do book reviews or the title/author/series list that we did. If I had a wiki, I would have each book title be a link to a book review. Others could add their comments or add their own reviews, rate each book with stars, like Librarything.
Anyone reading the reading group selection, but does not make it to the the discussions could comment on the book on the wiki. Or those that attended.
No limits. At minimum, a library wiki entry could give info and pictures about the library, the community and its history. For computer users, we could have links to often used web sites.
Patrons and visitors could post comments on the library like a guest book. We are a tourist site. Our library has three or four WOWs. Patrons bring their out of town guests to our library. I have too.
I am not sure if I would like patrons updating and changing things on a wiki that was about our library, unless it was about a book. I think for some things I am more comfortable with the blog idea than the wiki if it is public.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
del.icio.us
Where the heck did they come up with a name like del.icio.us? I was trying to figure out how to post my new del.icio.us site to my blog here and they showed how for a web site but I don't think it was working, so I added it to my Librarians Like Lists sidebar so that it was easy to access months from now. I think I was trying too hard. If you would like to see the couple of links added so far, check the sidebar or the link below.
http://del.icio.us/ssklibrarian
I can definitely see the use of del.icio.us for libraries in Reference Services. I like the example from class: http://del.icio.us/SanMateoLibrary with the dewey numbers and good description of online resources. Also, any useful links a librarian finds, can be easily added to the del.icio.us account so that whoever sits at the Reference desk has access to the same resources. Further, if they find good resources, they can add them to the del.icio.us account for the other Librarians to use. Where is the flu shot clinic site or the tax site? Find it on our "bookmarks" on del.icio.us!
Also, if I am surfing the web at home and find a cool link, I can add it to the del.icio.us account and access it at the library later. Shared without having to be on the same network. I like it. :-)
I do not think that the plain language tagging is unsettling. People have a hard time with official or proper subject headings, and so we have had to add key word searching to our catalogs as it is. I think it is cool to see libraries use tags on their library catalogs. I am sure there could be some problems with social tagging. However it will be interesting to see over the course of time what tags people use for different books or subjects. Vocabulary changes over time. Just try reading Beowolf in the original format!
http://del.icio.us/ssklibrarian
I can definitely see the use of del.icio.us for libraries in Reference Services. I like the example from class: http://del.icio.us/SanMateoLibrary with the dewey numbers and good description of online resources. Also, any useful links a librarian finds, can be easily added to the del.icio.us account so that whoever sits at the Reference desk has access to the same resources. Further, if they find good resources, they can add them to the del.icio.us account for the other Librarians to use. Where is the flu shot clinic site or the tax site? Find it on our "bookmarks" on del.icio.us!
Also, if I am surfing the web at home and find a cool link, I can add it to the del.icio.us account and access it at the library later. Shared without having to be on the same network. I like it. :-)
I do not think that the plain language tagging is unsettling. People have a hard time with official or proper subject headings, and so we have had to add key word searching to our catalogs as it is. I think it is cool to see libraries use tags on their library catalogs. I am sure there could be some problems with social tagging. However it will be interesting to see over the course of time what tags people use for different books or subjects. Vocabulary changes over time. Just try reading Beowolf in the original format!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Librarything
I have almost all my books in plastic boxes in my garage/basement. I painstakingly went through each one and added them manually into Librarything over the course of a couple of months without a library wand or hand scanner. I love Librarything. I unfortunately did not add any tags for the majority of them until after they were already packed up again. The last set of books entered, I tagged as I went. I did finally make sure all books at least were tagged fiction or non-fiction (I think). Use the power-edit mode for this. I think that the tag clouds and author clouds are cool. I also like how I can print my list of books and view my collection in a number of ways. I did add three books today to my Librarything account. One other thing I like about Librarything is that if I want to look at my cookbooks, I go to the TAG tab and look at the alphabetical cloud and click on Cookbooks, and I can look at a list of all 23 cookbooks. Now, if I could only remember which box in the basement has the cookbook for my cranberry bread, I could die happy...
Ok. So I clicked on the link for libraries who librarything and tried the CT (Danbury) library on the list. I typed in "Damia" and it was cool. It listed tags for the book and similar books. This would be good for readers advisory.
Ok. So I clicked on the link for libraries who librarything and tried the CT (Danbury) library on the list. I typed in "Damia" and it was cool. It listed tags for the book and similar books. This would be good for readers advisory.
Flickr at home and at the library
At home
Flickr at home will make it easy to share pictures with anyone you know or don't know (if pics are "public"), and it is easy to organize into sets when the pictures have multiple subjects. I especially like the tagging, comment and set features. When I take pictures, it is easy for me to forget where a picture is from. If I can upload pictures right away while my mind is fresh, I would be able to label each picture.
At the library
Flickr would be a great place for the library as a group to keep all their photos from events, and organize them by event, list people in photos in the description and date each one without having to go to Walgreens or save to a CD. Any pictures that kids are in that parents would not want shown, could be listed as private or not list any children's names or the name of the library. It is easy to add a picture from Flickr to blogger accounts to add to a blog to promote and publicize past and future events.
Flickr at home will make it easy to share pictures with anyone you know or don't know (if pics are "public"), and it is easy to organize into sets when the pictures have multiple subjects. I especially like the tagging, comment and set features. When I take pictures, it is easy for me to forget where a picture is from. If I can upload pictures right away while my mind is fresh, I would be able to label each picture.
At the library
Flickr would be a great place for the library as a group to keep all their photos from events, and organize them by event, list people in photos in the description and date each one without having to go to Walgreens or save to a CD. Any pictures that kids are in that parents would not want shown, could be listed as private or not list any children's names or the name of the library. It is easy to add a picture from Flickr to blogger accounts to add to a blog to promote and publicize past and future events.
Projectplay: Oscar being brave!
What is so special about this, when I have not been allowed to lay all over while it was being made.
Flickr ... and another email account?!
Okay. It was not too hard to start a flickr account, however I now have 5 email accounts going. Argh. I tried downloading a whole file folder of pictures from a couple years ago and decided as it took forever. In fact, it took so long that I read my bloglines account for over an hour and it was still going. So I logged off the computer before it was done.
Next time I will download a few at a time, instead of over thirty. After I went back into flickr today, I saw the pics and deleted a few duplicates. I also set them up as a set. Then I added a few more pics, and placed three of the new pics into another set. I am not sure I need everything in both places.
I also added a tag for one picture and tried to post it to my blog. I will have to see what it looks like.
Next time I will download a few at a time, instead of over thirty. After I went back into flickr today, I saw the pics and deleted a few duplicates. I also set them up as a set. Then I added a few more pics, and placed three of the new pics into another set. I am not sure I need everything in both places.
I also added a tag for one picture and tried to post it to my blog. I will have to see what it looks like.
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