Choose some Library 2.0 'software' that you have no experience with, say
Flickr or
del.i.cious. Take a look at what's there, add some of your own content, then reflect on the experience.
There's other types of software to check out as well, like YouTube, MySpace, FaceBook, Last.fm or LibraryThing etc.
- Can you see a way that this software could be applied in a library? Describe an application you think could work.
- Does this type of online community appeal to you? Do you think you'll explore this further, or have you had enough already?
Post your reflections as a comment in the blog before class on February 12th. If appropriate, add a link to your content in the Library 2.0 software. Read through some of the other postings, and make a comment on at least one other posting. Have some fun!
22 comments:
I can see youtube as a media to easily and quickly promote a new program in a Library. Perhaps one could upload footage of a class/club/lecture in progress and try to attract more patrons to join.
I have been using youtube for some time now, I think its great! Very easy to use and free... great way to share videos with family and friends if you are far from each other.
I can definitely see public bookmarking sites like del.icio.us being used in libraries as tools to help with reference services. It seems similar to the subject and assignment guides offered by the Langara College library website. I liked seeing this page used as an example during the Askaway presentation last week.
This type of online community appeals to me because I enjoy browsing interesting weblinks when I have spare time. I like the fact that with del.icio.us, people can vote for the links they like the best, instead of having a website or forum with the same links posted over and over again on different pages.
It's only Dale.
YouTube is great for booktalks.
Search booktalk or book talk and
have a look at what's there.
Staff could add a links to new or pushed books on the library site,
or, patrons could be allowed to
submit.
I'm sure some monitoring would be
necessary, but still, YouTube has
some good uses in a library setting.
Rob here.
I thought I'd take a look at Myspace and see if it could be applied to a library setting. I've never used it myself but I've seen people create profiles for themselves or bands and other things.
Lo and behold, there are a whole bunch of libraries with Myspace profiles, including the American Library Association.
After viewing their page and a few other libraries' profiles I think that it's a good way to promote the library and could be used to offer information in any number of ways. For example, the ALA page has videos of a rally for school libraries, Julie Andrews reading from a children's book, and a chat function with the ALA's membership specialist. And with the blog function the ALA can talk about library issues like banned books or announce meetings and conferences. It also appears that a number of their "friends" are authors and library supporters.
The profiles seem to add to more of an online community for users and library fans.
I’ve been on MySpace and Facebook for a few years, and posted pictures and video to it. It’s a great way to share music and pictures with friends and acquaintances. As for libraries, maybe the best way would be to include a link from your Facebook profile directly to your OPAC. You’d be going out to your patrons and saving them the step of coming to you.
Delicious is new to me, but I can see the usefulness. Bookmarking useful websites, at the very basic level, means finding your favourites wherever you are. For example, whether I’m at home, or a friend’s or any one of my 10 million jobs, I can quickly find the sites I need. The next step is tagging with your own subject headings. And from there, searching other’s tags, as a pre-made subject guide. For example, if you’re doing a job search, it may be one of your strategies to search someone else’s delicious job search sites. Libraries could use delicious the same way, or more for staff, in the way AskAway uses it.
Yvette
I signed up with del.icio.us (apparently they're going to take those dots out of the name soon, which will make it easier to remember) because I've heard about it for awhile but never knew how it was used.
On one hand I totally see the point of this - being able to keep all your bookmarks together regardless of which computer you're on, being able to tag those sites for future reference or for sharing, and being able to see what sites other people have been checking out.
But, at the same time, I can't see myself really using this right now. In the week since I've signed up I've barely gone back to it. Perhaps if I was often on various computers I'd find it handy, or if my list of favourite sites were huge. I don't have too many regular sites and I guess I'm just used to using my 'bookmarks' tab at home. And sharing and tagging my favourites really doesn't interest me right now, nor do I really care what strangers are looking at.
However, I do see the potential of del.icou.us and flexible formats such as this make perfect sense. Soon it will seem very archaic for any site/service/program etc. to have rigid rules which don't allow for flexibility according to the users' needs.
Flickr is a useful social software that allows the sharing of photos of events took place in any library environment. LaGrange Park Public Library of Illinois (http://www.lplibrary.org/), for example, uses Flickr to show workshops, exhibits, and festive events such as improv and music shows that happened within the library (http://www.flickr.com/photos/60582448@N00/). Public can view all photos and add their comments to the photos.
American Library Association uses Flickr to post newly published titles and book covers’ images for public to see (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alapublishing/). This is a good way to promote and introduce new titles to the public. Sometimes patrons prefer to see the layout and colour design of the book covers prior to purchasing the titles.
Another social software that appeals to me is del.icio.us. This is a very useful way in connecting people to the libraries since the public can make use of all the provided bookmarks to find information. ALA, for example, has bookmarked approximately 1500 items in their del.icio.us list (http://del.icio.us/alalibrary). These bookmarks can be a good reference point for patrons to conduct further research. Since the presentation from Phil Hall of VPL’s Askaway Services, I have visited a number of bookmarks saved in Askaway's del.icio.us list (http://del.icio.us/askaway). Even though the list only contains approximately 430 items, I found them very useful indeed.
I would definitely apply both Flickr and del.icio.us to library environments. These will enhance libraries to show a more human face online and allow libraries to communicate and interact with their communities.
I'm bored of Facebook but I just found something better- Last.fm. Last.fm is basically a personal radio station and social networking site rolled into one.
Last.fm syncs what you listen to on your computer with your music profile and gives you artist recommendations. They call this scrobbling. If you feel like listening to the radio you can search by your favorite artist and the radio will play similar music. There aren't any bad songs on your radio station because the selections are all based on your preferences.
You can upload profile pictures, you can add friends with similar tastes, you can ban songs from your radio and you can add your most loved songs to your playlist. There's also a weekly top videos and songs section. Another good feature is the artist biographies that display while you're listening to the radio. I've learned alot about Brooks & Dunn that I just did not know before.
A cross between a better version of ITunes and Facebook= FUN!
After all that though, I don't think an application like this would work in a library setting. All the factors that make it fun and personal (syncing to your music preferences on your computer, listening to music) wouldn't really work on a public computer in a public setting.
Libraries could apply this idea though, by giving book recommendations through the OPAC based on other books that users have checked out in the past. Users could upload pictures of themselves and personalize their space, chat with people that like the same books as them...
Maybe someday.
Back to my music.
I decided to check out del.icio.us.
I liked it , it was neat to surf around and see all the info that other people had tagged.
I'm not sure that I would use it for myself personally but I can definitely see implementing it at work and in a libray as a way of sharing information with patrons. It seems like in any job you are always having to answer the same questions, maybe this would help you find the information for the patrons faster and let them find some of it faster as well.
Sarah
Vandy here.
I would like to integrate an open pool of photos like Flickr or Bubbleshare to create digital stories.
These open source websites give the user a huge pool of pictures to choose and use from. It is easy and legal to use these pictures to create your own digi stories.
I have been using Flickr for a long time to share my pictures with friends and family, but I see its usage for a digistory creation project that many American public libraries are undertaking. SanDiego public library is one of the libraries that runs a digistory creation program.
I had signed up for facebook and realized that it was a great way to get in touch with people I had lost contact with since high school. What I found annoying though is the fact that it flooded my inbox in my hotmail account, so I signed off it. It was interesting though to read personal diaries, get to view profiles of friends, some information were shocking, but I guess if an individual is keen on getting heard, discovered or is just seeking a new form of communication, facebook is for you. One tip, don't keep it personal, spammers love to fiddle their noses in these sorts of accounts.
I use both Facebook and Youtube on a regular (usually daily) basis, and can see both as being able to effectively promote libraries and their programs. I've seen several Youtube videos of library tours (including my "alma mater," Trinity Western), as well as for videos of booktalks etc. I'm sure that they would also be a great way to let patrons know about new programs, especially for youth.
Facebook also seems to have several groups geared towards specific libraries and patrons. Although I haven't used MySpace very much, it's also a popular social networking tool for libraries.
I didn't find the de.lic.ious site to be as user-friendly, but there does seem to be a very large range of different topics covered on there, so it sounds like it would be a good source of information about specific libraries as well as for general reference help.
I think that an important thing to keep in mind with any kind of social networking site, is that they obviously won't appeal to all library patrons. Since we're obviously so used to using the Internet every day, and for almost everything, it's probably easy to forget sometimes that not everyone will be as comfortable with computers in general and social software in particular.
Kathleen
I just recently checked out del.icio.us for a LIBR 2416 project, and I must admit it was really interesting. I love being able to see how many people have something bookmarked.
I definitely think this software could be applied in a library setting, especially on the reference desk, the library website, even if it is just for employees. It sould be used to create a listing of web resources by suject for a reference department.
I think that I would explore this further, I would love to see how persoanlized you could make everything. It really appeals to me, because it seems practical.
Cortney.
I just signed up with del.icio.us to get a better idea of how it works. Evenutally, I'd like to create bookmarks for all of my library resource links, so that I have them all in one place.
In a library setting, I can also see the usefulness of del.icio.us as a tool to share information and sources. I particularly like the example used by AskAway to bookmark resources according to subject. I can see myself developing something similar if ever working in a reference position.
Bernie
I signed up for del.icio.us talk about information overload you could spend hours here looking around. I searched under organic gardening hundred of tips so easy to get side tracked on all other info.
This is a good wayfor libraries to attract patrons as the public can use all the available bookmarks a library has. e.g http://del.icio.us/alalibrary.
Libraries could use this for popular questions that keep poping up time and time again.
I like the bookmarks for research questions that pop up alot,and in libraries a good way of keeping research organized and finding sites easily.
Also liked the fact that it is not a hiearchal system you can use a variety of keywords.
Bernie
Aaron...
I can see the application of flickr and youtube for doing outreach and promotional services in and for libraries. However, I find these social networks more than a bit annoying. The medium is often as fickle as the user is, where they coexist in a symbiosis of desperation. I guess I'll just have to try my luck at face-to-face interaction instead!
I had a look at Flickr as I didn’t really have a clue how it worked and the setup. My concerns has been the privacy and safety issues but after going through their tour and what and how to work and use Flickr, I’m more at ease to maybe use it. In their privacy settings you can decide who can see the photos you are uploading such as only you, your friends or family or anyone. The Maps, Make Stuff and Keep in Touch features were fun and I will definitely sign up and learn more about it and it seems a good way to exchange photos and to keep in touch with my family in Sweden. I can see this feature useful in libraries, not only for informational purposes but to use for displaying actual image collections. I found The Library of Congress Pilot Project where they have asked the public to help describing photographs by adding tags or leaving comments. http://www.flickr.com/commons Neat!
Had a look at del.icio.us as well and was at first very confused but after going through the “learn more” feature found that this is another tool I’m going to try out. How many times when away on holiday or working from somewhere else than your own computer or at a friends house, and wanting to get to my favorites and was unable. This is great, now when using del.icio.us I won’t have the same problem.
I've been looking around the site: Flickr! I like the site, but don't really see much substance to it as far as utilizing for a library site. It is an image sharing site that would be good for, perhaps, a special project of some sort where patrons would like to see visual updates to the project, such as renovations or a new building. Specific programs can utilize the software, say, for a photography contest? The downside is that you can't really share anything else here except images, you can also only upload 100 MB/month, otherwise pay an annual rate.
I think that I may go back and take another look around the site, but, because there are so many other social software out there that offer this plus much more, and I already belong to a few, I probably won't make it a routine to check out the site.
My experience about YouTube has an interesting start: I would like to find some songs in English. And I tried many sites. But, they all ask for payment or registration. Then, a link connects me and YouTube. I found all the songs I need there. Then, later, I would like to go to YouTube for any visual or audio records first.
Then, later, an instructor uploaded his lecture to YouTube for the class to watch. Isn't that neat?
Sorry, zahu66 is Lu.
There was one big issue for me when I was exploring Library 2.0 type sites such as Flickr and Facebook - Security! All these sites require profiles be created. In the case of Flickr, you need a yahoo email account to sign up. Facebook allows different email addresses, but in all cases, if you look at the privacy and terms of use agreements, they state that they do collect information for their own use.
I can see how Facebook, Flickr, and other similar sites can be a great interactive way for libraries to connect with the community, but I think that we need to keep in mind that we shouldn't be giving out to much personal information online.
I don't even have my hometown on my Facebook profile because I do have my birthday. With my name, birthday, and home town someone could apply for a replacement birth certificate in my name, and use it to get all sorts of other documents.
As soon as I post this comment, I am closing the gmail account I had to create to log on to this blog.
The less information about me floating around on the internet, the better.
Raili makes some good points about privacy and the requirement of providing personal info about oneself to most of these 2.0 applications.
We're constantly being told that sites like facebook, flickr, youtube are the next generation of creating a virtual existence yet we're also required to provide personal info just to participate. Sure, we can use a fake email or change our name or birthday, but that's all superficial. Most things we do online are being tracked anyway, not for ID theft but for marketing purposes (and, if we were in America, for adding data to that massive profile database).
Here's a link to an interesting, albeit sensational and clumsily executed, short doc about the conspiracy theory behind facebook.
http://www.albumoftheday.com/facebook/
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