Wow. I thought that it would be hard to set up a podcast before I listened to today's podcast. I thought that I would need special equipment, like a mike for the computer and software. All I used was my phone! I was simple. (thanks for the second email, PP2). It was so easy to use gabcast to record the short 'cast, locate it by the time, listen to it, rename it and even paste it to my blog.
There are a lot of things librarians can use this technology for. I can see it being used to promote upcoming events, like a booktalk for a program, so to speak. Also, podcasts can be used for booktalks; book, music, and movie reviews (by staff, teens, or even other adult patrons); recordings of programs; storytimes (assuming books are past copyright); speakers; and training and meetings for staff. Teens would like it for an alternate place to get their voice on the computer 'casting to the world.
For our library, I could see it being utilized for the teen area and for past programs- if our broken microphone was ever replaced or fixed! A program would have to be taped before it could be submitted over to gabcast. I would like it used for promotion of upcoming events too.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
web 2.0 so far
I am a social person inside the library but by nature passive outside the library. One thing I don't like about all of the technology so far with web 2.0 is that you have to be logged in to everything and have multiple emails. There has to be an easier way. I do like how LibraryThing and maybe one other application covered did not require an email address as a login.
To Facebook or to not Facebook (or MySpace)
If you are trying to reach more teens, MySpace, done right, may be the way to go. It would be an online way to reach out to teens- who are constantly plugged in and online.
For Adults and for Childrens programming, a good website may be the way to go. It depends on the individual library's needs. If your adult community is a highly technical group, then you may want to add Facebook. It depends how much time you want to devote to keeping up the blog, wiki, website and social networking pages current and fresh looking. Although the technology out there is supposed to keep us in the now and cutting edge, it takes staff time and money to keep up-to-date.
This one is hardest for me to see how it works without actually having an account. I can understand that it could be good for keeping up professional contacts up, though there are other ways to do that as well. The video on this week's assignment page reminded me of six-degrees of Kevin Bacon. Social networking could help you contact someone you want to meet without having to ask personally everyone you know if they know person "X". I do like the idea around social networking, and the online world makes it easier on us passive folks. Unless you are one to crave person to person contact.
For Adults and for Childrens programming, a good website may be the way to go. It depends on the individual library's needs. If your adult community is a highly technical group, then you may want to add Facebook. It depends how much time you want to devote to keeping up the blog, wiki, website and social networking pages current and fresh looking. Although the technology out there is supposed to keep us in the now and cutting edge, it takes staff time and money to keep up-to-date.
This one is hardest for me to see how it works without actually having an account. I can understand that it could be good for keeping up professional contacts up, though there are other ways to do that as well. The video on this week's assignment page reminded me of six-degrees of Kevin Bacon. Social networking could help you contact someone you want to meet without having to ask personally everyone you know if they know person "X". I do like the idea around social networking, and the online world makes it easier on us passive folks. Unless you are one to crave person to person contact.
MySpace and Facebook
I like what Denver Public Library has done on MySpace. It is easy to see with the white background, but not boring with the sqiggly design behind the boxes of text. I think that the design would be interesting to teens. The box for reviews on music and movies (and books in last place) would be utilized by teens here on the MySpace more so than on a blog or Library website. Go where the teens go. It also has the catalog search screen right there (though I almost did not find it as it was not labeled as the library catalog... probably better that way) :-)
I like that LaCrosse has pictures of teens on their MySpace account, as they are the user group trying to be reached. It is good that they list the types of events and activities that their library hosts. The bulk of their information like Denver is to click on their blog link. Denver's is more comprehensive, and it shows in the number of comments. Though, Denver has a much larger population too.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg County Library Loft is another like Denver. I think it speaks more to teens than LaCrosse does. It may be more publicized too, who knows? They have a meebo on the page, upcoming events, a calendar, etc. It is in bright neon colors.
Two of the sites had music that could be played on the site. Teens would like that. I think that teens are the hardest group of users or non-users to reach. Okay, you create the site; how do you spread the word to the teens that the MySpace library site is out there?
I don't see a need for me to use it for personal use. For our library, I think our teen librarian would love to use it for the teens. I do like some of the options the libraries above have used the MySpace, though in the comments area I saw a lot of new books listed as a comment in some of the pages viewed. I would put books in a separate area. There did not seem to be much said in the comments area of substance. Am I way off base there?
As I do not have a Facebook account, I did not check those out except for the screen shots. The screen shots did seem to be a little easier to read, more for adults. If I were to use one over the other for personal use, I would use Facebook. If our library used either social networking tools, we would probably use Facebook for the adults and Childrens programming and MySpace for the teens.
I like that LaCrosse has pictures of teens on their MySpace account, as they are the user group trying to be reached. It is good that they list the types of events and activities that their library hosts. The bulk of their information like Denver is to click on their blog link. Denver's is more comprehensive, and it shows in the number of comments. Though, Denver has a much larger population too.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg County Library Loft is another like Denver. I think it speaks more to teens than LaCrosse does. It may be more publicized too, who knows? They have a meebo on the page, upcoming events, a calendar, etc. It is in bright neon colors.
Two of the sites had music that could be played on the site. Teens would like that. I think that teens are the hardest group of users or non-users to reach. Okay, you create the site; how do you spread the word to the teens that the MySpace library site is out there?
I don't see a need for me to use it for personal use. For our library, I think our teen librarian would love to use it for the teens. I do like some of the options the libraries above have used the MySpace, though in the comments area I saw a lot of new books listed as a comment in some of the pages viewed. I would put books in a separate area. There did not seem to be much said in the comments area of substance. Am I way off base there?
As I do not have a Facebook account, I did not check those out except for the screen shots. The screen shots did seem to be a little easier to read, more for adults. If I were to use one over the other for personal use, I would use Facebook. If our library used either social networking tools, we would probably use Facebook for the adults and Childrens programming and MySpace for the teens.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Tag Cloud ? Need help
I want to make a tag cloud and did not quite get the result I was looking for. Any suggestions on how to make it look like the one I have in LibraryThing and what PP2 homepage looks like?
RemembertheMilk and Jott
I have owned a Palm pilot for over a year or two and use it sparingly (I started forgetting birthdays, minor appointments and get-togethers) and my husband thought we should both have them (I was his excuse to buy one for him). I rarely use it for tasks and appointments, though I am starting to use it more now, as life is starting to get more hectic. I am more of a on-paper list-maker. I do like it as a perpetual birthday calendar.
Thus said, I personally probably will use Remember the Milk and Jott zero times for personal or in the library. I have other ingrained ways to make lists that work for me that are low-tech. I can see a potential use for libraries communicating as a group needing to work on a big project, such as building a new library, or for other projects or meetings between branch libraries, or other project groups. Our library is 1.5 years old in our current building and we are not part of a branch. I am used to Outlook's task bar, not that the library uses outlook for email. But I do for home use.
I also would not use my phone to set up a task for my to-do lists. I like to write them down or if I have no paper, use my palm pilot. I am not enough of a worker-in-transit to want to transmit things to a to-do list via phone. The idea behind jott and remember the milk is cool and I can see applications in a group, kind of like the wikis are good for group work. It just doesn't suit my needs. It is a good organizational tool for those needing an online list.
Thus said, I personally probably will use Remember the Milk and Jott zero times for personal or in the library. I have other ingrained ways to make lists that work for me that are low-tech. I can see a potential use for libraries communicating as a group needing to work on a big project, such as building a new library, or for other projects or meetings between branch libraries, or other project groups. Our library is 1.5 years old in our current building and we are not part of a branch. I am used to Outlook's task bar, not that the library uses outlook for email. But I do for home use.
I also would not use my phone to set up a task for my to-do lists. I like to write them down or if I have no paper, use my palm pilot. I am not enough of a worker-in-transit to want to transmit things to a to-do list via phone. The idea behind jott and remember the milk is cool and I can see applications in a group, kind of like the wikis are good for group work. It just doesn't suit my needs. It is a good organizational tool for those needing an online list.
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