Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Summary
Working through these exercises while also participating in the ILS demos and symposium has been very eye-opening for me. Our customers have higher expectations and more options than ever in accessing information. Incorporating the best of these resources with a new ILS will be a driving factor in meeting our customers rising expectations of what the Sno-Isle website/catalog should be.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Geomapping
This is really quite an amazing tool (Google Earth), though I did find it somewhat frustrating to use. Maybe it was just the speed of our network (or the limitations on my PC). Anyway it provides incredible access.
Gaming
It's been really interesting working in the library field for the last 20 years or so. Yeasr ago, I distinctly remember library admin people saying video gaming had no place in the library (similar I suppose to those who resisted video and music), and I still encounter this dismissive attitude from both librarians and customers alike (as in why are those kids using the computers to play games? - I thought libraries were for literature and "serious" work). Times and attitudes change, thank goodness. I see gaming as yet another way to engage people in their local library and demonstrate that we do have something of interest for all ages. The numbers we've seen for attendance at our gaming events have been impressive, and I undersand that some libraries are expanding the gaming events to seniors and cross-generational approaches. Can libraries adapt to new technologies and stay relevant in the 21st century? Yes Wii can!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Online apps
OK so I've typed something on this topic twice now, and it's failed twice. Blogger has been failing periodically throughout the afternoon as I've been working on this. Guess maybe that's why people might prefer having software on the machine they are using rather than relying solely on virtual apps.
Mamma
I tried Mamma, the meta-search engine. This stuff has come a long way since Netscape and Hotbot (those references seem so dated now don't they?)
Joe Janes suggested at PLA that for all practical purposes, Google is what the ready reference desk used to be. So the volume and nature of questions we get now are fewer and different, and our approach to using the tools needs to be different too. Meaning we need to sharpen our skills and master things like search engines so that the customer who has often failed in their own attempt to use the same tools, can get what they need.
Joe Janes suggested at PLA that for all practical purposes, Google is what the ready reference desk used to be. So the volume and nature of questions we get now are fewer and different, and our approach to using the tools needs to be different too. Meaning we need to sharpen our skills and master things like search engines so that the customer who has often failed in their own attempt to use the same tools, can get what they need.
Podcasts
This could be very useful for us - both as a staff training tool and to educate our customers. we should be developing more of this (including visual instruction as well as audio).
Online image generators
This could be fun. I will try to remember it the next time I want to send a customized email birthday card.
Overdrive
OK, so this week, I'm working with the Overdrive audio download service. First of all, this is a very convenient service, provided they have the content you're seeking. I do find myself wishing that the book titles were as current as the printed (and CD versions), but it's still pretty good. A downside though the compression rate, which requires that you lose a lot of of the dynamic audio range, and also it is limited as to the platforms it will play on (iPod, anyone?). Licensing is going to be tricky for awhile, though it has gotten somewhat better in the last year or so. But if you have the right player, and aren't looking for latest best seller, the convenience is really pretty good.
May 19, 2008 12:15 PM
May 19, 2008 12:15 PM
Delicious
The social networking aspect of this makes it very appealing. Seems like help is readily available out there - you just need to seek it out. Not to mention if you've stumbled upon something really useful, you can identify it as such for future reference and you can easily broadcast your recommendation to your community.
Wikis
The YouTube demo was a good way of showing how wikis can be useful. perhaps at some point we will use them instead of having committee meetings. They certainly seem like they have potential, no?
YouTube
Michael Delury, on May 12th, 2008 at 9:24 am Said:
These are fun, and once again making access to media (both posting and seeking out) easier for the end user. Once upon a time, the whole nation tuned in watch the same show at the same time (final episode of MASH comes to mind), and now everyone who cares can go to YouTube to watch it whenever they want. I didn’t know about Hulu or Fancast - seems like television execs are keen to the fact that a growing portion of their audience prefers access this way over the conventional methods. Didn’t Viacom have a lawsuit over posting their Comedy Central clips though?
These are fun, and once again making access to media (both posting and seeking out) easier for the end user. Once upon a time, the whole nation tuned in watch the same show at the same time (final episode of MASH comes to mind), and now everyone who cares can go to YouTube to watch it whenever they want. I didn’t know about Hulu or Fancast - seems like television execs are keen to the fact that a growing portion of their audience prefers access this way over the conventional methods. Didn’t Viacom have a lawsuit over posting their Comedy Central clips though?
I actually located an old friend on Facebook. He works in the IT industry, and told me that while he does blog and check his accounts, Facebook has become a little too mainstream for him. It's fascinating to see how fast these things catch on and how quickly they are surpassed by the next big thing.
flickr
A very useful tool for sharing and shoping for images. I got some interesting ideas for our signage task force off of this contributor: travelin' librarian. Lots of funny and useful shots of libraries throughout the world.
Pandora
Michael Delury, on April 13th, 2008 at 10:31 am Said:
Since I love music and have very eclectic tastes, this is really appealing to me. I like the fact that you can suggest an artist you like and it cross references other artists that are similar - so it would be possible to discover something I hadn’t heard before (and would most likely never hear on a Clear Channel station). Being able to link to information about the artist when the song comes on is also a nice feature - a great advantage over conventional radio.
What I found myself wishing for was more full access. I was able to get a sample of some things but not full access. Pandora also limits you if you try to skip through too many tracks in a given hour. I think licensing and making sure copyright holders get compensated will continue to be a struggle in fully realizing the potential of sites like this.
Since I love music and have very eclectic tastes, this is really appealing to me. I like the fact that you can suggest an artist you like and it cross references other artists that are similar - so it would be possible to discover something I hadn’t heard before (and would most likely never hear on a Clear Channel station). Being able to link to information about the artist when the song comes on is also a nice feature - a great advantage over conventional radio.
What I found myself wishing for was more full access. I was able to get a sample of some things but not full access. Pandora also limits you if you try to skip through too many tracks in a given hour. I think licensing and making sure copyright holders get compensated will continue to be a struggle in fully realizing the potential of sites like this.
RSS Feeds
Michael Delury, on April 13th, 2008 at 10:07 am Said:
While selecting RSS feeds I stumbled upon some promotional videos for National Library Week that were quite humorous. They’re posted at: http://alfocus.ala.org/categories/national-library-weekCan’t wait to see the final version of SIL’s promo video.
While I see the advantages of RSS feeds, I personally would use them sparingly. Part of the reason I still read the physical newspaper is to discover news about things I wasn’t aware of. Seems like technology is in a way allowing people to finetune on their specific interests (a good thing, I suppose) but possibly at the expense of knowing what else is out there. Maybe all I care about is the latest national sports stories when I might be better off learning what’s going on in national politics or what is going on in my local community. When all I hear is what I want to, it becomes a little too easy to settle into consumer mode and disengage from being a citizen.
While selecting RSS feeds I stumbled upon some promotional videos for National Library Week that were quite humorous. They’re posted at: http://alfocus.ala.org/categories/national-library-weekCan’t wait to see the final version of SIL’s promo video.
While I see the advantages of RSS feeds, I personally would use them sparingly. Part of the reason I still read the physical newspaper is to discover news about things I wasn’t aware of. Seems like technology is in a way allowing people to finetune on their specific interests (a good thing, I suppose) but possibly at the expense of knowing what else is out there. Maybe all I care about is the latest national sports stories when I might be better off learning what’s going on in national politics or what is going on in my local community. When all I hear is what I want to, it becomes a little too easy to settle into consumer mode and disengage from being a citizen.
IM having so much fun
Completed the IM assignment on 4/13 At the time I wrote:
Michael Delury, on April 13th, 2008 at 9:41 am Said:
I totally see why instant messaging would be a preferred way for teens to communicate: it’s quick, responsive, and not easily detected by people around you - good alternative to cell phonecalls (here’s wishing more people use IM while in the library). texting of course would also be an even more portable way of connecting with your BFF’s.
I’m interested in the application of IM for our libraries. Particularly for reaching one another when our phonelines are tied up. I would think this could have advantages in helping one another out.
Michael Delury, on April 13th, 2008 at 9:41 am Said:
I totally see why instant messaging would be a preferred way for teens to communicate: it’s quick, responsive, and not easily detected by people around you - good alternative to cell phonecalls (here’s wishing more people use IM while in the library). texting of course would also be an even more portable way of connecting with your BFF’s.
I’m interested in the application of IM for our libraries. Particularly for reaching one another when our phonelines are tied up. I would think this could have advantages in helping one another out.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Music a reflection of who we are
I've often felt that music best expresses emotions and moods, better than visual images or words. Music is a universal language - how a guitarist bends a note, or a horn player breathes life through their instrument can convey an emotion that is universal. The emotion will conjur a memory or become associated with an experience, triggering additional feelings. The beautiful interplay between Miles Davis and John Coltrane on Flamenco Sketches comes to mind. It's such a luxurious, laidback track to put on at the end of a long hard day - no words are needed. The weight of the world vanishes like smoke when you let yourself get sucked in.
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