Looking to the Future...

When it comes to the future of social media and libraries, I'm really not sure where things will go from here.  The world of social media in general has changed so drastically just in the past few years that it is really unknown where it will go in just the next 2 years.  I do have a feeling that libraries are definitely moving toward a more user-centric business model, so using social media and other Library 2.0 tools will definitely become a major way to reach patrons.  So I think that many more libraries will in fact start using social media, have it integrated into their websites, etc.  I also hope to see some major overhauls with online catalogs, moving more towards the next gen. catalogs we read about earlier this semester since they would be much more friendlier to the user.  As we are moving towards a user-centric model it would make sense for all services and features of the library to be more user friendly and accessibility is key.

Happy Birthday YouTube!

Well Happy Belated Birthday... Yesterday marked the 7th year since YouTube's inception.  The first video ever to appear on the site was this one from the co-founder of the site:

Currently more than 4 billion videos are viewed on YouTube everyday.  60 hours of video are uploaded every minute, which makes 1 hour every second.  The growth of YouTube has truly been phenomenal.  So in honor of its Birthday, go watch a video or two, like this classic:

 

Video Games in the Library

This weeks readings look at video games in the library.  Although valid cases can be made for each side of the argument, I certainly feel that video games have a place in libraries.  Many people would argue that video games do not promote reading, are violent, and are mindless entertainment.  However the same exact case could be made against the library lending out movies, and I haven't heard anyone complain recently about being able to rent movies for free for a week... 

So yes it is true that many video games are violent, but the library can avoid that problem by ordering video games that have minimal violence (especially if they are going to be housed in the children or teen area) and if they host times to play video games in the library they can make sure that those too are violence free.  In terms of reading, yes there are games out there that involve minimal reading, but there are also many that require the player to read messages on the screen or stories that precede a level.  There are also numerous games out there for young children that promote phonics. 

Video games do certainly have the stereotype that they can be mindless entertainment, but that is not true.  Although many games may have players sitting on a couch for hours on end, often times these games involve strategy, dexterity, and overall mental stimulation.  Other games like jeopardy and cranium come in video game versions and certainly involve thinking beyond the normal.  Games on the Wii and Xbox Kinect involve actual physical movement in order for the player to participate in the game and would certainly not be classified as mindless.

Overall I see video games as being a valid addition to a libraries' collection and as a part of library programming.  They can be used to get teens into the library, to promote phonics with young readers, and be a fun, alternative form of entertainment.  What do others think about host video games in the library?

Ethical and Information Policy Issues

For this week's readings I first looked at the LibraryLaw Blog.  I certainly see how helpful this blog would be in terms of different legal issues that come up where it concerns libraries, but I just could not stay focused on what I was reading, probably due to my dislike of legal jargon.
I did however enjoy the talk that Elizabeth Stark gave.  I found her discussion on copyright issue to be really interesting and especially pertinent to libraries.  Her comparison of physical property to intellectual property gives a good understanding to the relationship between the two and provides a good definition to what exactly intellectual property is.  She delved right into the issues of copyright, which in simple terms she describes as an exclusive right creators have to their work.  The little bit of history Stark provided on copyright was interesting and something I was unaware of (especially the stuff concerning Disney and Steamboat Willy).  One thing Stark kept going back to was the fact that copyright as it is now was created for the world of the printing press and not the digital world and especially not digital goods.  As copy right law is now, everything someone creates online is technically copyrighted, whether they want to be or not.  So something I write in an email is technically copyrighted, which is a bit crazy.  So comes some issues for libraries such as when things are available for the public domain, copyright on ebooks, open access, etc.
The article on privacy and technology seems to be one of many that are starting to come out as social networking sites continue to dominate our lives.  This, like some of the others, covers a lot of the basics like the relationship between teens and not using privacy features versus adults being particularly concerned about privacy.  Of course despite the privacy issues, libraries must continue to use social media as that is where their patrons are connecting.  The whole issue of protecting patrons' privacy is always a concern for libraries, but it reaches a whole new level when the internet is concerned especially when the library cannot always do much to protect it.  However, librarians can advise patrons on what their privacy options are in order to keep their information private.

More Social Media to Use as Procrastination!

I have to say I love me some YouTube.  Besides it being another great method of procrastination for college students everywhere, it has a host of other uses as well.  I generally use it to watch music videos, clips from tv shows, viral videos, and whatever the current favorite spoof of the moment is.  But it can be used for so much more, especially when it comes to libraries.  Libraries can use YouTube to host video tours of their library, interviews with librarians, tutorials for services, videos from past programs, book trailers, and the list goes on and on.  Since a lot of people are visual learners, being able to have video walk-throughs of various services and features can be super helpful for them rather than a walk-through over the phone.

Flickr is another great resource.  Although more people are now hosting their pictures on Facebook rather than on photo hosting sites, having the option to outsource is also always nice.  I personally haven't used my Flickr account in a few years (I used it to share photos with my parents while I was studying abroad in 2008 and then to host a class project the following semester).  But Flickr can be a great resource to host a library's collection of pictures.  This could be anything from past book displays, events/programs, other themed displays, historic photos, etc.

I also looked at Pinterest. I checked out the site a month or two a go, since all my other friends were starting to use it.  I like the concept of it, but this semester I truly have no time for additional social media distractions, so I haven't visited it since.  I do see how libraries will find value in it, they can create boards for new books/dvds, crafts, library events, etc. and library patrons who are members of the sit can follow the library and repin things from their boards.

The 2.0 Business Card

While doing some research for my Lit. Review I came across this blog post from 2010 on The "M" Word, which is a blog that looks at new marketing trends for libraries.  This particular post describes the idea of using social media business cards as a way for patrons to better connect with librarians.  On one side is the librarian's picture, name, email, and the social media sites they are available on.  The other mirrors the front and has the libraries name, logo, and social media presence.  This way people know where to locate and follow the library's goings on, but also can follow what their favorite librarian is reading/reviewing and interact with him/her.  According to the article this idea has been pretty successful for the library profiled and has created more trust between the patrons and librarians.

I personally think this is a great idea to allow more interaction between patrons and librarians.  Even if librarians do not want to share all their personal/private social media sites (i.e. private FB or Twitter) with patrons (I know there are some I certainly would not want to share that info with), they could create a professional Twitter, or use sites like Shelfari/Goodreads, a blog, etc to connect with patrons on a more personal level.  The cards seem like they can be made easily and can simply be left at the desk that the librarian works at the the patrons to take as they like.  They could also be handed out after performing reader's advisory or after a program a librarian was hosting.  These just sound like such a smart idea, I'm surprised I haven't heard of more libraries using them!

Facebook: My Favorite Method of Procrastination

Well I read through the articles on Facebook this week and I felt like a lot of it was similar to things I had read through in other classes.  Some interesting points I did find:

• From the article "Academic Libraries, Facebook and MySpace, and Student Outreach: Student Opinion"... I had to laugh at the section describing status updates with the example of "Michael is delving into the catalog"
• Apparently younger generations are not worried about privacy on the internet.  As someone who is from one of those younger generations I can certainly say that I am concerned about privacy on the social networking sites that I use and on the internet in general.  Despite Facebook's constantly changing privacy features, I keep my page as private as possible and do not friend anyone I don't know.  Cause seriously, the last thing I need is to have my identity stolen or to have someone break into my house because they saw I was on vacation.
• The average Facebook user has 229 friends.  I feel that this number is pretty accurate and when I first saw it I thought that's about how many I have, but apparently I was wrong.  According to my page I have 338 friends.  Who are all these people?? The fact that I am friends with that many people and I'm pretty sure I do not talk to half of them gets me seriously thinking about defriending some of them.... so hope that you make the cut and may the odds be ever in your favor!
• Facebook users tend to be more trusting.  I do agree with this on some levels, but I feel like this really depends on the person.  The study does say that people that use Facebook multiple times a day are the more trusting ones is interesting.  I know I go on Facebook way more times a day than I should (mainly because I am a horrible procrastinator and am avoiding schoolwork), but I am definitely not a trusting person until I know someone well enough, so for me that fact is not so accurate.
• Why are people still discussing Myspace??? Do people still use it??? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Catalogs, Catalogs, Catalogs...

When I saw that this week's topic was catalogs, I thought finally it was a chance to express my grievances with online catalogs.  From being both a library patron and library staff member I know that the online catalog is a major asset to many library functions.  Most days I think I would be lost without it.  However, the more I use it the more issues I have with it and the more flaws I find in it.  Quite honestly I feel that OSL needs to do a major overhaul of the online catalog.  As I was reading through the articles, many of the things the authors mentioned about problems with older OPACs are many of the same issues I have with OSL's online catalog.  Some of the major ones I have come across are no option for Boolean searching, no spell checking, required to search author last name first, no option to browse, inability to use multiple filters, etc.  Overall the main problem is the lack of forgiveness of mistakes.  I think OSL tried to offer a more modern option by offering a version of the catalog through encore, but quite honestly it is even worse.  I have tried to search for books several times in encore and every single time the book I was searching for did not show up, however when I used the classic catalog it was one of the first options.  (So Aggravating!!!)
I think in a world of Google and Amazon searching, OSL needs to update their OPAC to allow it to be searchable in the way that patrons are used to searching outside of the library website.  Since we are in the business to serve our patrons in the best way possible, it would make sense to design a user friendly online catalog.  It seems like OSL might need to read up on some literature on next-gen catalogs and start working on implementing these things.  Although the literature, for me, was a bit technical at times, the message is clear about what is out and what is in and the OSL catalog features almost everything that is considered an issue/problem with older catalogs and almost none of the features of next-gen catalogs.  Although I haven't heard any word, I truly hope that the folks down at the OSL offices are working to create a next-gen catalog that is user friendly, but also librarian friendly and incorporates forgiving features. One can only hope... 

Book Review

Since spring break ended last week, I have being going 100 miles an hour working on trying to get through all the assignments due this week (never mind all the things I need to start working on that are due in April).  But I finally finished my book review for Personal Connections in the Digital Age by Nancy Baym.  I finished reading the book over spring break, but I couldn't really decided in what medium I wanted to present my review.  After toying with a few different things I decided to go with an animated video.  I found it to be a bit of a challenge as I had limits to how long/how many characters could be put into the video.  Although it did limit some of the things I wanted to say about the book, it allowed me to only include the most important points and weed out the unnecessary ones. 
Here is the link to my Book Review .

Social Tagging Sites

In my last post I gave my impression of the social tagging site delicious.com.  In addition to that I checked out both LibraryThing and CiteULike.  I first looked at CiteULike and I really like the idea of it and kind of wish I had found out about it sooner.  You can collect all of your scholarly articles in one place as well as search through all the articles in the Everyone's Library (which is enormous).  Funny enough the first article I saw was about social media use in libraries. Overall this site would have been quite useful for me in both undergrad and graduate school to keep track of all the articles I was using for papers, but now that I'm in the home stretch it really won't be of much use to me.

I've visited LibraryThing before and found it to be a great resource for those looking to catalog their home book collection.  You can add all your books, interact with others, review books, and once enough books are added to your library see what books are recommended for you.  However I have to admit that I am a dedicated Shelfari user.  I personally like the design better as it is more appealing to the eye, I can see my shelf streamlined with what I have read, what I am reading, and what I plan to read.  A while back I also checked out Goodreads, but in the end Shelfari has come out on top as my favorite.

Folksonomies and Tagging

When seeing that the topic of the readings this week were folksonomies and tagging, my first thought was "What the heck is a folksonomy??"  I was well aware of tagging, but folksonomies were a complete mystery to me.  Before I even started the article on it I will admit I Googled the term first to get a basic definition.  From what I gathered a folksonomy is essentially social bookmarking/tagging.  As I ventured on to read the article by Wichowski, I saw a quote from David Weinberger in the section on scholarly response that really seemed to sum it all up.  “The old way creates a tree. The new rakes leaves together.”  Tagging creates a collection of subjects for one person, however folksonomies/social tagging bring each persons collection of subjects together and allows them to interact about them. 

Although reading both articles gave me a good idea of what social tagging was, I thought the only way to understand it fully was to explore a social tagging website.  Since both articles mentioned delicious.com I decided that was the one to go with.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but from what I gathered people add different tags to their stacks.  From there you can click on the tag to see what articles are included in that tag and view the other people that also follow that tag.  Definitely an interesting concept, although not sure it particularly appeals to me.

The Importance of Circ and Reference.

I remembered seeing this posted somewhere a while back and I happened to stumble across it again this weekend and knew I had to post it here!

So I am currently 2/3s of the way done with my book review book, Personal Connections in the Digital Age by Nancy Baym.  So far the points made in the book are interesting although a bit theory heavy, which makes for slow reading, especially when you are taking notes at the same time.  But this does not bother me to much, my real complaint is that the size of the text is a bit too small and would be more agreeable to read if the text size was increased. 

Thoughts on Twitter...

So I have been extremely busy the past week working both my jobs and attempting to do as much homework as I can before I leave for vacation in a few days, so hence my absence the past 3 or 4 days from the blog.

Anyways, about Twitter.... I have had a Twitter for about 3 years now and I have to admit that I never really could get into it.  I am much more of a passive user than an active user.  I enjoy reading the tweets of the celebrities I follow as well as my friends who tend to update their Twitter far more than their Facebook.  However I am not the kind of person that feels the need to constantly say things, so I rarely tweet, at that I don't really update my Facebook status that often either...  But for the sake of this class I will attempt to check Twitter a few times a week and send out a tweet or two.

In terms of people/organizations that I follow, I at one point got a bit overzealous with my following of celebrities, but recently I unfollowed a whole bunch since I realized many of them I didn't care about anymore (I'm now down to about 80 or so).  The ones that I most enjoy are:
1. Chuck Palahniuk (one of my favorite authors, he posts great links)
2. ModCloth (I want to buy all the clothes from their site, following them on social media is dangerous)
3. Emmanuel College (my former college)
4. Neil Gaiman (another one of my favorite authors)
5. Adam Richman (serious who doesn't love Man vs. Food!)

I am going to try to follow some more library related things in the coming days...

Google's Privacy Policy

A while back I posted about Google's plan for a new cohesive privacy policy, well that new policy goes into effect tomorrow and there are some things you might want to do before the changeover occurs.  My local library posted this link this morning about how to delete your Google Browsing History.  According to the article, you must do this before tomorrow because after that point Google will be able to use all that information in order to "enhance" your experience.  The article explains all the details probably better than I can, so I would highly advise reading it and follow the directions it provides to delete the browsing history from your Google account. 

A Sad Day for Children's Books

It's a sad day in the world of children's books as Jan Berenstain, who along with her husband Stan Berenstain authored The Berenstain Bears series, has passed away at the ripe old age of 88.  The couple published the first Berenstain Bears book in 1962.  50 years and over 300 books later, Jan was still hard at work.  Up until the day before she passed away, Jan was apparently at work on concepts and artwork for 2 new books.  And although it is always sad to see a beloved author from your childhood pass away, her spirit, along with her husband's who died in 2005, will always live on through the wonderful books they created that I'm sure will continue to be loved by many more children for years to come!

This just fuels my addicition for anything book related...

 
I knew I liked Michelle Williams for a reason... What she is carrying in her hand isn't a book, but a clutch that looks like a book.  Williams apparently carried a similar clutch by the same designer earlier this year to the BAFTAs.  The previous one was of Arthur Miller's "The Misfits," a nod to her character in "My Week With Marilyn."  I'm sure this clutch costs a pretty penny, but as a lover of both handbags and books, I think I might need it!
However for mine I think I would pick Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Food for Thought...

As I was watching the film Contagion tonight, I was struck by the line "blogging is not writing, it is graffiti with punctuation."  Thoughts?

Crap Detection

When searching the internet, it is especially important to be able to sort the crap from the valid information.  Most people who have email have a designated spam folder where they send all those unwanted emails from false creditors, fake job offers, princes in Uganda wanting to send you millions of dollars if you just provide them with you bank account info, etc.  So if you sort out the crap emails from the legitimate emails, why not evaluate the websites you visit in the same way.  If there is no author or it does not seem legitimate, the website and information is probably no good.  If the site tries to make you download something to view the information, the author is most likely trying to infect your computer with a virus.  If the web address ends in .org or .edu there is usually a bit more credibility given to those, however do beware as I have seen some pretty bad .edu sites put together by professors or their students.  But really I believe that beyond the basics of making sure the website looks legit, you need to double or triple check the information that is being provided.  Can you find that information anywhere else?  If no other website or book can provide additional validation, I would assume that the information may be false and would discount it. 

In terms of age playing a role in the detection of crap, I think that in same cases it may, but not everyone in every age range has the same thought process and same experiences.  Some people, no matter the age, are naturally very gullible and easily fall victim and therefore need to be a bit more diligent when evaluating anything on the internet.  Other people may have sound judgement and can easily see through falsities and have no problem seeing through the crap.  Others may fall somewhere in the middle.  Overall generalizations should not be made as not all youth are naive and not all elderly people are computer inept.  Even the most tech savvy will fall victim every once in a while.

Going Mobile

So this weeks two readings on the Mobile Web was quite interesting.  I never really considered all the intricacies that go into creating mobile websites.  Although I mainly access the internet from my laptop, I do have a smart phone and a Nook, which from both I can access the internet.  Since the Nook is a larger device I don't have many problems viewing websites on it, however I have noticed that there are significant differences between regular websites and websites created specifically for the mobile device.  Regular websites usually involve lots of scrolling and zooming and occasionally there is a flash feature that won't load or pop up ads that cause my phone and Nook to freak out.  Mobile websites are much easier to use as they are made for a smaller screen (so there is less zooming and scrolling) and they have the most pertinent information that you are looking for.  Although there have been times where I need the regular website instead of the mobile one and there is usually an option to switch back.

In terms of mobile websites for libraries, this seems like an excellent idea.  The idea of patrons being able to access the OPAC, their online account, basic library information, and put holds on items sounds just perfect.  However I have a feeling that this is something that might not occur everywhere in the immediate future.  I know at my library we are understaffed and do not necessarily have the time or resources to put this together, although having a mobile app instead of a mobile website is something OSL could do.... hmmm food for thought.  But I digress.... So if we are understaffed and overworked I have to assume other libraries across the country are as well and may not have the time to put in so much work.  But mobile apps for the online catalog created by consortiums for the use of their member libraries could be an alternate option to individual mobile websites.

Library 2.0: Blogs, Wikis, and RSS

As I was reading through the article "Library 2.0: Blogs, Wikis, and RSS to Serve the Library," I was thinking about how each of these Web 2.0 tools can be used as Library 2.0 tools.  Blogs are probably one of the most obvious choices for libraries as they can be used to keep patrons up to date on the upcoming events, policies, new materials, etc.  As mentioned in the article, Wikis can certainly be integrated as part of the libraries webpage (with the condition that only the library staff has access to editing it).  However, something I hadn't even thought of (although I had used a wiki before for a project) was using the wiki as a way for the library staff to communicate with each other and be collaborative on projects.  With a wiki staff members who are working on projects can each work on it when they have time and not only when they are scheduled to work together.  The one I am not to familiar with is RSS.  I understand the basics of what they are used for, although I myself have never actually used RSS.  But I can see where it would be useful in allowing patrons to get direct updates about the goings on of the library.

Google Reader

About a week or so ago I finally decided to start using Google Reader and it is an awesome tool.  Before I was trying to keep up with everyone's blogs by just having them all bookmarked, but there were just too many to do it that way.  So with Google Reader now I can see when each person updates their blog and I don't have to constantly remember if I read a post already or not.  So if you're not using Google Reader yet, I definitely advise that you do!

What a Librarian Looks Like

Earlier today RILA posted a link to this blog on their Facebook page and I really liked the concept and thought I should share it with all of you.  The blog, This is What a Librarian Looks Like, is an attempt to change the stereotype of librarians.  The moderators of the blog invite librarians/library staff from all over the world to send in pictures of themselves and a brief descriptions of who they are, where they work, etc.  It's pretty cool, check it out!

What do Librarians do???

A friend of mine and a fellow librarian shared this picture on Facebook today and I found it to be hilarious and quite true to life and I thought I should share it with you all.

A Culture of Connectivity

When I first saw that the reading for this week was instead a video and that it was almost an hour in length, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to focus on it all the way through.  However, when I saw it was a talk given by danah boyd I knew I would have no problem paying attention.  As part of my undergraduate degree, I was required to take Media Theory.  For the class I ended up writing a term paper on identity and the Facebook profile and used several of danah boyd's papers as sources.  it was interesting to listen to the talk and remember some of the things I had remembered reading about and had discussed in my paper.  Overall I found many of boyd's discussion points interesting and have decided it was easiest to list the ones that resonated with me most.

• Social networking sites are a new type of public space
• Teens are now more searchable than ever and they are becoming aware of that as they approach the years where they will be applying for college and searching for potential jobs
• The idea of negotiating invisible audiences
• Collapsed contexts - What are the boundaries and social norms in this new public space?
• There is the issue of what is public versus what is private... The only way to achieve privacy is through agency and control
• I enjoyed the discussion on Wikipedia and the controversy it constantly causes
• Judging people for their Facebook page, is this not their whole world, just a piece of them

On a side note, after watching the video I browsed boyd's website and was amazed by how many papers and articles she had published since I last read her work in the Spring of 2009.

Defriending Someone Is A Dangerous Act....

I read this article on Yahoo! today and could not believe how ridiculous and senseless this act was.  For those of you haven't seen this story yet, a couple in Tennessee both defriended a woman on Facebook.  The woman proceeded to harass the couple and then her father and another man killed the couple.  Apparently this woman has a history of harassing people due to incidents on the social networking site and has had several suits filed against her.  As of right now just her father and the other man are facing charges, nothing has been filed against her.  As horrible as this story is, the worst part was the couple was shot while holding their 8 month old baby.
As great as social media sites are, we always have to remember that dangerous things can result from them.  Bullying, stalking, theft, and harassment seem to be just the tip of the iceberg now that murder is on the table.  This is a reminder to be safe on the internet and to remember the people who are crazy in real life are even crazier online.

Social Media Explained

Found this on a friend's Facebook page and thought it was funny, yet very fitting for this class.

...Therefore I am

Recently I finished listening to the audiobook version of the new Tom Brokaw book, The Time of Our Lives.  The information that Mr. Brokaw relayed and the stories he told were fascinating, but I think the most interesting of all were his musings on the digital world.  Brokaw spends a whole chapter discussing our obsession with everything digital.  He looks at everything from his and his grandchildren's shared experiences learning to navigate the web together to the effect it has on our culture and journalism.

One statement that really jumped out at me was how we used to base our existence off of the Rene Descartes phrase "I think, therefore I am."  But in today's world it has shifted to "I am online, therefore I am."  Honestly and a bit sad to say, Brokaw's statement is all too true.  Our lives are online and digitized.  You are berated by friends if you don't have a computer in your home, never mind if you don't have a Facebook page.  If you can't be found online, it is almost as if you don't exist nowadays.

Another Example of the Power of Social Media....

Last Tuesday the Susan G. Komen Foundation announced that it would be pulling its funding of breast exams and mammograms through Planned Parenthood.   However, on Friday, a mere 4 days later, Komen announced that it had reversed its decision and would continue funding Planned Parenthood. Why the change of heart?  There are many politics and issues that this question could bring up, but the truth is the pressure from social media caused the decision to be reversed.  Between the announcement on Tuesday and the reversal on Friday over 100,000 tweets were sent on Twitter with mention of the Komen decision.  The tweets were overwhelming critical of the move made by Komen, with only 3 of the 28 hashtags used supporting the decision.  With the wide spread reach of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, users can protest controversial decisions like this from the comfort of their own home and still have their opinion reach millions.  It just goes to show that what is said on social media and the movements it can cause can in the long run be influential and cause change. 
For more information and stats check out this article and the list of hashtags below (also included in aforementioned article).

Readings Week #2

In the article "Experts Weigh Pros and Cons of Social Media," I have to say that I agree with the majority of what the experts have to say about social media and journalism. I certainly agree that social media allows journalist to more easily promote content to mass amounts of people in mere minutes and therefore allows readers to receive news in real time.  I also agree that social media is not the only place that people should go for their news information.  It can be used as a jumping off point, but often you do not get all of the story or the true story when reading it on social media.  I know that if I read any news on a social media site, like Facebook, I almost always go to a reputable news website or the website for my local paper to double check the facts to make sure I am getting the whole story and not just the fragments that are being relayed through Facebook status updates.

The "New Media, Old Media" article pointed out some interesting things, but the one I found most interesting is the extremely short attention span in social media.  I could believe that most stories on blogs are old news after 3 days, but the fact that over 50% of stories are forgotten after just 24 hours is a bit shocking.  I guess it just goes to show you that people are being thrown so much information over the course of the day on social media that some just passes them by. 

As I was reading the third article "Library 2.0: revolution or evolution," I began to think about which category it fell into.  As revolutionary some people may think Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 features are, I honestly think it is all part of the natural progression.  As the times change, libraries have adapted to fit with those changes, from card catalogs to online catalogs, everything is moving online and so are library features.  Therefore it would only make sense for Library 2.0 and social media to be the next natural step.  It is just another part of the necessary evolution of libraries... you must adapt to survive or become obsolete and die.

Happy Digital Learning Day!

It is February 1st, which means it is Digital Learning Day! So what are you going to do at home and at the library to celebrate today? To learn more about Digital Learning Day click on the image above.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Last week I started and a few hours later finished reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.  I thought it was an absolutely wonderful book with a very creative concept.  The idea of a novel in words and pictures is definitely something different, but is a format that works very well for this story.  It helps move the story along faster and although it is a lengthy book the combination of illustrated sections and text sections would definitely be attractive to reluctant readers.
For me the integration of director Georges Meilies and his film A Trip to the Moon was really interesting and allowed me to geek out a bit.  As an undergrad I took a class on film theory and the first film that we watched and critiqued was A Trip to the Moon.  We discussed how many of the first film makers were magicians trying out a new medium, since special effects on film was just like magic, and I was thrilled to see this little fact integrated into the book.
Overall I really enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret and highly recommend it.  On a side note I am very excited to read Selznick's new book Wonderstruck as I have heard only great things about it!

Week #1 Readings

This week's first reading "Library 2.0, information and digital literacies in the light of the contradictory nature of Web 2.0" by Tibor Koltay was a bit of a torture to get through.  It honestly took me several tries just to read through the first half of the article never mind the whole shebang.  I found Koltay's writing style a turn off and tedious to read.  In terms of the content of the article, I found his discussion of the amateur versus professional content interesting, but I didn't necessarily agree with his viewpoints and seemingly opposition to amateur Internet creations.  I agree that yes most of what is on social networking sites is amateur content, but then again the majority of what you find on the Internet is amateur content.  I also agree that librarians should be wary of some amateur content and if they choose to share it with their patrons they should fully investigate all the content involved, however I feel this should also be done with professional content as well in order to make sure it is going to its intended audience and that it also is of quality.
The second reading "Blogging and Uses of Blogs in Libraries" by Anil Kumar Dhiman and Hemant Sharma was a much easier and more interesting read.  It clearly defined what a blog is and how and what it can be used for.  The article also discussed in detail how libraries can successfully use blogs to their benefit and how the blog can go beyond just conveying library news and can even assist in reference services.  The article also lists two blog specific search engines which I did not even know existed, but are interesting and would definitely prove helpful for those searching specifically for blogs.
Overall I found the contrast of the messages of the two articles to be on either ends of spectrum.  Basically the first article puts down amateur content whereas the second encourages it and especially encourages librarians to create it themselves. In the end without amateur content this blog would not exist! 

Big Brother is Watching...

In light of Tuesday's discussion I thought this article was quite appropriate.
http://news.yahoo.com/keep-google-finding-everything-191900454.html
I'm sure I am just one of the millions who received an email this week to their gmail account concerning Google's new and updated privacy policy.  They are consolidating over 60 Google privacy policies into one effective March 1st.  This policy is supposed to be shorter and easier for the user to read and make the overall Google experience better.  Basically making it easier for Google to follow everything we are doing on the internet, on our phones, our tablets, and every other Google creation.  Although I am not going to stop using Google because of this, I find that it is a radical move and may cause some uproar from users a la the many confusing changes Facebook is constantly making to what it supposedly calls a privacy policy.  Something like this keeps in perspective that if you want privacy, don't use the internet!

Hello World!
So this is that obligatory first post I must make.  So as to not seem too lame I leave you with this...

                                                 from Hey girl. I like the library too.