Hi all,
To a certain extent we have been using a variety of Web 2.0 tools throughout most of the exercises with the 23 Things. This Thing just shows us that what we've been looking at is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are many, many tools available for a variety of different purposes. And there are tools that list the tools, compare them, and rate them. For instance, one can visit http://www.seomoz.org/web2.0 and explore Web 2.0 tools for a variety of topics. They rate the tools on usability, usefulness, social aspects, interface & design, and content quality. These sites can be useful not just for the ratings, but also if you are not aware of the availability of tools in a particular topic of interest. Just choose the topic, and find a list of tools ready and waiting to be tried. Try a few, and see what you like. With everything that's out there, it's amazing that anyone these days finds time to do anything off the computer :)
Monday, December 31, 2007
TLC 2-0 document from template
Hi all,
First, many thanks to the person who wrote in the comment on my previous post. I found the Remote icon in Zoho Show, so this can be used for remote audiences in doing a webinar as the commenter indicated. This is a very useful tool indeed. Librarians (and others) can easily share knowledge on specialized subjects with other librarians and other interested people. I see this as a way to improve library outreach and also distance education.
Also, this is a document I created using Zoho Writer using one of the templates.
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
Thing # 18 - Web based applications (online productivity tools)
Hi all,
This time I am writing about the exercise on web based applications (online productivity tools). I looked at Zoho Writer, Zoho Show, Google Docs (word processor and presentation module) and I used them to make brief documents. They were very easy to use, and I was impressed with the versatility of the programs given that they are for free. I think that this is great for group projects such as cooperative projects among librarians from different libraries across the country. It is also good for one person's projects in that one can access it from any computer with Internet access. It is also great for students because it is an easy way to learn how to use such tools and they produce very good looking results. The show is especially useful if one needs to take a presentation on the road for an outreach program because the computer one uses for thel presentation does not need to have proprietary software, just an Internet conneciton. It may also be possible to do a presentation remotely over the internet with several participants with Google Docs, but I'm not yet sure how this works. It may also be possible with Zoho, but I didn't notice a special window. I can see a great potential for this for remote training of librarians online.
This time I am writing about the exercise on web based applications (online productivity tools). I looked at Zoho Writer, Zoho Show, Google Docs (word processor and presentation module) and I used them to make brief documents. They were very easy to use, and I was impressed with the versatility of the programs given that they are for free. I think that this is great for group projects such as cooperative projects among librarians from different libraries across the country. It is also good for one person's projects in that one can access it from any computer with Internet access. It is also great for students because it is an easy way to learn how to use such tools and they produce very good looking results. The show is especially useful if one needs to take a presentation on the road for an outreach program because the computer one uses for thel presentation does not need to have proprietary software, just an Internet conneciton. It may also be possible to do a presentation remotely over the internet with several participants with Google Docs, but I'm not yet sure how this works. It may also be possible with Zoho, but I didn't notice a special window. I can see a great potential for this for remote training of librarians online.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thing # 17 - Wikis - Practice
Hi all,
This was an interesting item. I completed the assignment and have, in addition, created a page in the BCL wiki. The link to that page is http://bcltlc.pbwiki.com/moonrocker's+page. I created this page because, as you know if you read my first blog entry, I am a patent and trademark depository librarian. What that means is that part of what I do is to guide people in doing their own patent searches. One of the handouts I produced for such a task is a set of procedures for doing a patent search at the US Patent and Trademark Office website. So, I wanted to see whether I could post this information on the wiki, with the links. And, the answer is yes! So, if you click on the above link, you can get to the page and you can follow the instructions and click on the links and by the time you get to the end of the page you would have completed a patent search. All you need to start with are the key words that you have come up with to describe your invention and its aspects, such as what it is, what it does, etc.
This is just one handout. Imagine having all handouts produced this way. If steps change they can easily and immediately be updated from any computer anywhere where an Internet connection is available. This can be a powerful tool for librarians indeed.
This was an interesting item. I completed the assignment and have, in addition, created a page in the BCL wiki. The link to that page is http://bcltlc.pbwiki.com/moonrocker's+page. I created this page because, as you know if you read my first blog entry, I am a patent and trademark depository librarian. What that means is that part of what I do is to guide people in doing their own patent searches. One of the handouts I produced for such a task is a set of procedures for doing a patent search at the US Patent and Trademark Office website. So, I wanted to see whether I could post this information on the wiki, with the links. And, the answer is yes! So, if you click on the above link, you can get to the page and you can follow the instructions and click on the links and by the time you get to the end of the page you would have completed a patent search. All you need to start with are the key words that you have come up with to describe your invention and its aspects, such as what it is, what it does, etc.
This is just one handout. Imagine having all handouts produced this way. If steps change they can easily and immediately be updated from any computer anywhere where an Internet connection is available. This can be a powerful tool for librarians indeed.
Thing # 16 - Wikis
Hi all,
Moving right along, I worked on Thing #16, which is on Wikis. This is the exploration Thing; Thing #17 has some hands on practice. I completed both #16 and #17, and here I'm writing about #16. I think that wikis have a good potential in libraries for providing content that can be updated quickly by knowledgeable individuals. This is an important point, since some information is only useful if it is current and accurate. The wiki makes this easy to do because the work is not dependent on any one individual. The sample wikis we visited in this exercise showed just how versatile a tool this can be.
There's more to discuss, but I'll continue the discussion with the next blog entry, as I will talk about my addition to the Broward County Library's bcltlc wiki, a wiki set up especially for this educational project.
Moving right along, I worked on Thing #16, which is on Wikis. This is the exploration Thing; Thing #17 has some hands on practice. I completed both #16 and #17, and here I'm writing about #16. I think that wikis have a good potential in libraries for providing content that can be updated quickly by knowledgeable individuals. This is an important point, since some information is only useful if it is current and accurate. The wiki makes this easy to do because the work is not dependent on any one individual. The sample wikis we visited in this exercise showed just how versatile a tool this can be.
There's more to discuss, but I'll continue the discussion with the next blog entry, as I will talk about my addition to the Broward County Library's bcltlc wiki, a wiki set up especially for this educational project.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Thing # 15 - Rollyo
Hi all,
This seems like it would be a very useful thing for librarians, and I found some searchrolls created by some impressive people in the sciences, i.e., Russel Schweickart (a former Apollo astronout) titled Near Earth Objects, and Brian Greene (a prominent physicist) on String Theory. So, I decided to do two, one on the Apollo program websites that I found when I was putting together a program for the public, called Space Exploration, and the other on Intellectual Property websites that are useful regarding patents, trademarks, and copyrights, called Intellectual Property. Since you can only put the primary domain name down, it's not possible to put down more specific webpages, which would be nice given that government agency webpages have a lot of information, so, provided one uses good search terms, it can be very useful to eliminate a lot of the false hits one might get from searching the Internet at large.
You can look at my searchroll by clicking on the following link http://rollyo.com/search.html?q=Try+it+out...&sid=334165&x=10&y=10. Remember, I've created two, Intellectual Property and Space Exploration.
This seems like it would be a very useful thing for librarians, and I found some searchrolls created by some impressive people in the sciences, i.e., Russel Schweickart (a former Apollo astronout) titled Near Earth Objects, and Brian Greene (a prominent physicist) on String Theory. So, I decided to do two, one on the Apollo program websites that I found when I was putting together a program for the public, called Space Exploration, and the other on Intellectual Property websites that are useful regarding patents, trademarks, and copyrights, called Intellectual Property. Since you can only put the primary domain name down, it's not possible to put down more specific webpages, which would be nice given that government agency webpages have a lot of information, so, provided one uses good search terms, it can be very useful to eliminate a lot of the false hits one might get from searching the Internet at large.
You can look at my searchroll by clicking on the following link http://rollyo.com/search.html?q=Try+it+out...&sid=334165&x=10&y=10. Remember, I've created two, Intellectual Property and Space Exploration.
Thing # 14 - Library Thing
Hi all,
OK. I'm up to thing #14. Library Thing is a very interesting site. I've selected some books that interest me because they deal with the mind. I've always found the mind to be a very fascinating subject, and given my undergraduate training in chemistry and physics, I find scientific studies interesting, but I like to supplement those with writers who see things from more of a sociological perspective, but still scholarly. This provides a more rounded analysis. Below are covers for the titles. You can click on any one of them to get the bibliographic information from Amazon.com.
OK. I'm up to thing #14. Library Thing is a very interesting site. I've selected some books that interest me because they deal with the mind. I've always found the mind to be a very fascinating subject, and given my undergraduate training in chemistry and physics, I find scientific studies interesting, but I like to supplement those with writers who see things from more of a sociological perspective, but still scholarly. This provides a more rounded analysis. Below are covers for the titles. You can click on any one of them to get the bibliographic information from Amazon.com.
Thing # 13 - Online image generators
Hi all,
This time the task was to look at online image generators, which I did. There are a great many available. Some didn't seem to work, but then it may be my computer rather than the image generator. At any rate, there are too many to look at them all for an exercise like this, but of the ones that I have seen, the one I liked the best (and found most useful) is a calendar generator that I found at http://www.freephotocalendar.net/free-printable-photo-calendar.php. It is easy to use, and I was able to produce a page for January 2008. You can click on the image and see it in a larger size. For the picture on the calendar page, I selected the image of a patent for a space capsule, patent number US3,270,908A1. For those of you who can't figure out what this means, just look at United States patent number 3,270,908, and don't worry about the kind code A1.
I think that this is really cool, and opens up lots of nice possiblities for librarians to use in promoting their special collections.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Thing #12 - Discussion of "Away from the 'icebergs'"
"Away from the 'icebergs'" is the title of an article on Web 2.0 written by Rick Anderson, and can be read at http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/2.htm. Thing #12 from the TLC 2.0 project ( http://blogs.library.nova.edu/tlc/?page_id=130) asks us to read two articles from a list of five and discuss one. I chose to discuss this one, because I have been considering the concept of "just in case" vs. "just in time" as related to library service for some time. Mr. Anderson considers the "just in case" collection development philosophy to be an "iceberg" in this new era of technology, one of three that he sees as threatening to the boat of librarianship. Well, let us examine the issue of "just in case" vs. "just in time." This concept is one that has been applied in business, and many companies have adopted it by changing from a "just in case" system to a "just in time" system. "Just in case" means that you purchase necessary materials based on a plan that attempts to anticipate future needs. If the plan cannot anticipate future need correctly or if the unforeseen happens, it is possible that there may be too much inventory of one product and too little of another, which has suddenly become popular. Without a mechanism to quickly acquire this popular product, or sell the product it has in inventory, the business loses competitive edge. So here is where the "just in time" concept comes in. "Just in time" means that the company has access to a provider that can provide immediate assistance in obtaining the necessary product, whatever the market may be demanding at the moment. In a sense, the smaller business is "passing the buck" for its "just in case" collection to another larger company that can provide it what it needs when it needs it, in other words, it can provide it "just in time." The idea is that if a large company provides to a number of smaller companies all around the country, or maybe the world, what they need when they need it, any kind of impact for a mistake concerning forecasting the popularity of, and therefore the need for, products would be minimized. This example is just a two layered system. One "just in case" business serving several "just in time" businesses. There can be several layers of "just in case" businesses, each serving the layer below and depending on the layer above for the product. But ultimately, there must be one company at the top of this chain that subscribes to the "just in case" philosophy, or at the very least has direct contact with various manufacturers who can churn up the products at the drop of a hat. Otherwise, the whole system falls flat.
So, let's see how this applies to public libraries. Public libraries, and in particular large public library systems, generally use both "just in case" and "just in time" strategies. And they have been doing so for a very long time. Smaller branches generally stock materials that are used frequently and that they need for immediate customer service. This would be their "just in case" collection. They depend on regional libraries or on a main library for less frequently used materials. This would be "just in time." Likewise, the regionals will also have a split strategy system, with balance between the two shifting in favor of the "just in case" approach. The main library's strategy would be even more shifted toward the "just in case" approach. In a situation like this there are three tiers with varying positions along the "just in time" - "just in case"continuum. Interlibrary loan (ILL) contributes to this as well, since there is a large number of participating libraries in the pool, which increases the likelyhood that an item might be found for a customer. But there is no guarantee, as collection development practices are an individual choices based on local use and not decided in consultation with other library systems nor based on potential need elsewhere. With the Internet, opportunities open up to decrease the "just in case" burden, true, but it is important to note that it is not possible to guarantee availability. Database providers may drop a particular product, or they may go out of business, or may increase prices to a level where subscription costs become prohibitive. Free access databases may suddenly and without notice become fee-based, and, therefore inaccessible. So, when considering "just in case" vs. "just in time," it is important to recognize that the only way to guarantee that something will be available to a library's customers is to have it "just in case." Of course, it is not possible to have this philosophy for everything, so choosing where to stand on the "just in time" - "just in case" continuum will need to be a carefully evaluated decision.
Another "iceberg" he mentions is the reliance on user education. Again, for public libraries there are constraints. Databases are chosen based on ease of use, content, and cost. Another factor is availability for remote access so customers can use them from home. Public libraries offer classes in the use of the computer and databases and provide reference assistance to customers when they come in. Reference librarians at public libraries have gotten very good at knowing how to give quick training to a customer on the use of a database, and are available should the customer need assistance during his/her session. Public libraries have never relied on user education, and so they have, therefore, found ways to adapt to the varying levels of user education among customers. Mr. Anderson states "But if our services can’t be used without training, then it’s the services that need to be fixed—not our patrons." Perhaps this might be an option for academic libraries, where the average customer is literate and has generally good computer skills, such that most services are easy to figure out, but this cannot be taken for granted in public libraries. Most public library customers would rather be told how to use a database and get the information as opposed to the alternative of not having it available because training is necessary. Training customers in a public library is par for the course, another reason why staffing with knowledgeable personnel during all open hours is so important. Eliminating this would be very detremental to public service, and choosing not to subscribe to a database based on the skill levels of customers is unreasonable. First of all, which customers does one consider in making such a determination? The technologically savvy ones or the ones that have no computer experience whatever? There is simply too much variation in customer knowledge and ability that makes considering such a concept sheer nonsense for a public library. A standard of providing quality customer service needs to be the guide, and ease of use is certainly a factor, but so is access to the information.
The third "iceberg" he mentions is the "come to us" model of library service. True that with the Internet more people feel that they can find what they need, and so they may not come to the library. But increasingly I am finding that, particularly when it comes to customers needing difficult to find information, that customers recognize that they need the librarians to help them find the needle in the haystack. He says that libraries need to become aware and acknowledge the changes that are ocurring in the marketplace they serve, and find ways to adapt to them. This is very true. However, academic libraries and public libraries serve fundamentally different marketplaces to begin with, and the increase of the availability and ease of use of technology and the Internet does not make these marketplaces any similar to eachother. Mr. Anderson writes from the point of view of an academic library. In fact, for public libraries the challenge is quite different, and relative to its own prior customer use pattern the public library is increasingly being pulled in several opposing directions of customer need. Public libraries serve customers that run the gammut from functionally illiterate to the highly educated litterati. Likewise relating to technology and computers public libraries serve customers that run the gammut from those who cannot type or use a mouse to those who are practically computer programmers. Public libraries also have customers ranging in age from infants to people in their 90s. Each of these people approach the library with his/her own library need, and good customer service dictates that we strive to satisfy each as best we can with the resources we have. Academic libraries have a considerably more homogeneous customer base in their knowledge, skills, approach, and purpose for using the library than public libraries do, and technology has just made the customer base for public libraries even less homogeneous in those areas still. Public libraries also have different funding issues than do academic libraries or businesses. A successful business can take a percentage of profit and funnel it back into expanding the company. An academic institution can increase fees as its standing and prestige among universities increases. Therefore to a large degree in business and a certain degree with academic institutions good quality product or service can translate into improved financial support for the institution. This is not the case for public libraries. No matter how good quality is a public library in terms such as quality of customer service or availability of materials, this quality does not translate into increased funding, nor can it keep the budget cuts from hitting when they are implemented. Good quality service is certainly something to strive for and to be proud of, and it will increase the good will of the customers, who will hopefully use the library more, but it cannot be counted on to induce an increase in financial support in any significant way. Because of all these fundamental differences between the situations of public and academic libraries, it would therefore be a mistake to assume that the three "icebergs" that he discusses hold the same level of validity for public libraries as they do for academic ones. Therefore, the corresponding action in which they are handled cannot be undertaken by public libraries without further analysis that specifically applies to public libraries.
So, let's see how this applies to public libraries. Public libraries, and in particular large public library systems, generally use both "just in case" and "just in time" strategies. And they have been doing so for a very long time. Smaller branches generally stock materials that are used frequently and that they need for immediate customer service. This would be their "just in case" collection. They depend on regional libraries or on a main library for less frequently used materials. This would be "just in time." Likewise, the regionals will also have a split strategy system, with balance between the two shifting in favor of the "just in case" approach. The main library's strategy would be even more shifted toward the "just in case" approach. In a situation like this there are three tiers with varying positions along the "just in time" - "just in case"continuum. Interlibrary loan (ILL) contributes to this as well, since there is a large number of participating libraries in the pool, which increases the likelyhood that an item might be found for a customer. But there is no guarantee, as collection development practices are an individual choices based on local use and not decided in consultation with other library systems nor based on potential need elsewhere. With the Internet, opportunities open up to decrease the "just in case" burden, true, but it is important to note that it is not possible to guarantee availability. Database providers may drop a particular product, or they may go out of business, or may increase prices to a level where subscription costs become prohibitive. Free access databases may suddenly and without notice become fee-based, and, therefore inaccessible. So, when considering "just in case" vs. "just in time," it is important to recognize that the only way to guarantee that something will be available to a library's customers is to have it "just in case." Of course, it is not possible to have this philosophy for everything, so choosing where to stand on the "just in time" - "just in case" continuum will need to be a carefully evaluated decision.
Another "iceberg" he mentions is the reliance on user education. Again, for public libraries there are constraints. Databases are chosen based on ease of use, content, and cost. Another factor is availability for remote access so customers can use them from home. Public libraries offer classes in the use of the computer and databases and provide reference assistance to customers when they come in. Reference librarians at public libraries have gotten very good at knowing how to give quick training to a customer on the use of a database, and are available should the customer need assistance during his/her session. Public libraries have never relied on user education, and so they have, therefore, found ways to adapt to the varying levels of user education among customers. Mr. Anderson states "But if our services can’t be used without training, then it’s the services that need to be fixed—not our patrons." Perhaps this might be an option for academic libraries, where the average customer is literate and has generally good computer skills, such that most services are easy to figure out, but this cannot be taken for granted in public libraries. Most public library customers would rather be told how to use a database and get the information as opposed to the alternative of not having it available because training is necessary. Training customers in a public library is par for the course, another reason why staffing with knowledgeable personnel during all open hours is so important. Eliminating this would be very detremental to public service, and choosing not to subscribe to a database based on the skill levels of customers is unreasonable. First of all, which customers does one consider in making such a determination? The technologically savvy ones or the ones that have no computer experience whatever? There is simply too much variation in customer knowledge and ability that makes considering such a concept sheer nonsense for a public library. A standard of providing quality customer service needs to be the guide, and ease of use is certainly a factor, but so is access to the information.
The third "iceberg" he mentions is the "come to us" model of library service. True that with the Internet more people feel that they can find what they need, and so they may not come to the library. But increasingly I am finding that, particularly when it comes to customers needing difficult to find information, that customers recognize that they need the librarians to help them find the needle in the haystack. He says that libraries need to become aware and acknowledge the changes that are ocurring in the marketplace they serve, and find ways to adapt to them. This is very true. However, academic libraries and public libraries serve fundamentally different marketplaces to begin with, and the increase of the availability and ease of use of technology and the Internet does not make these marketplaces any similar to eachother. Mr. Anderson writes from the point of view of an academic library. In fact, for public libraries the challenge is quite different, and relative to its own prior customer use pattern the public library is increasingly being pulled in several opposing directions of customer need. Public libraries serve customers that run the gammut from functionally illiterate to the highly educated litterati. Likewise relating to technology and computers public libraries serve customers that run the gammut from those who cannot type or use a mouse to those who are practically computer programmers. Public libraries also have customers ranging in age from infants to people in their 90s. Each of these people approach the library with his/her own library need, and good customer service dictates that we strive to satisfy each as best we can with the resources we have. Academic libraries have a considerably more homogeneous customer base in their knowledge, skills, approach, and purpose for using the library than public libraries do, and technology has just made the customer base for public libraries even less homogeneous in those areas still. Public libraries also have different funding issues than do academic libraries or businesses. A successful business can take a percentage of profit and funnel it back into expanding the company. An academic institution can increase fees as its standing and prestige among universities increases. Therefore to a large degree in business and a certain degree with academic institutions good quality product or service can translate into improved financial support for the institution. This is not the case for public libraries. No matter how good quality is a public library in terms such as quality of customer service or availability of materials, this quality does not translate into increased funding, nor can it keep the budget cuts from hitting when they are implemented. Good quality service is certainly something to strive for and to be proud of, and it will increase the good will of the customers, who will hopefully use the library more, but it cannot be counted on to induce an increase in financial support in any significant way. Because of all these fundamental differences between the situations of public and academic libraries, it would therefore be a mistake to assume that the three "icebergs" that he discusses hold the same level of validity for public libraries as they do for academic ones. Therefore, the corresponding action in which they are handled cannot be undertaken by public libraries without further analysis that specifically applies to public libraries.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Thing # 11 - Tagging a blog entry
Hi all,
This time the task is to write a blog entry about a hobby and then tag it. Well, one of my hobbies is art. I've always enjoyed drawing, and have worked primarily with graphite, although I've recently started with color pencils and watercolor pencils which I enjoy greatly. Initially, my graphite technique was to use very soft pencils. At the time, a very long time ago, I was not familiar with the large ranges of hard and soft pencils. I taught myself by doing, and I liked soft pencils because I could then use my fingers to get the shadings by smearing the graphite I had just put on the paper. This was a very intuitive way to work with graphite, and I could get good results quickly and easily. Much later I visited art stores on a regular basis and became familiar with various kinds of pencils. I bought my first set of full range graphite pencils (9H - 9B) only several years ago, and began working with them. At first, as can be expected, I favored the softer pencils. The B set (B - 9B) are the softer ones and the H set (H - 9H) are the harder ones. Then there is also HB and F, which fall in between. Using the softer pencils at first allowed me to transition from the method I was used to of using one very soft pencil with the smearing technique to produce the complete picture to using several softer pencils as a limited grayscale palette, while still relying on the smearing technique for blending and getting lighter grayscale shades. Eventually, I got used to the feel of changing pencils and of looking for the pencil that most accurately could replicate the shade I needed, and I could then broaden my selected pencils to include the harder ones on the palette to produce the lighter shades and to get crisper edges for lines. Practice, as they say, makes perfect, and my transitioning to a full palette including all graphite grayscale shades was complete.
Bye for now.
This time the task is to write a blog entry about a hobby and then tag it. Well, one of my hobbies is art. I've always enjoyed drawing, and have worked primarily with graphite, although I've recently started with color pencils and watercolor pencils which I enjoy greatly. Initially, my graphite technique was to use very soft pencils. At the time, a very long time ago, I was not familiar with the large ranges of hard and soft pencils. I taught myself by doing, and I liked soft pencils because I could then use my fingers to get the shadings by smearing the graphite I had just put on the paper. This was a very intuitive way to work with graphite, and I could get good results quickly and easily. Much later I visited art stores on a regular basis and became familiar with various kinds of pencils. I bought my first set of full range graphite pencils (9H - 9B) only several years ago, and began working with them. At first, as can be expected, I favored the softer pencils. The B set (B - 9B) are the softer ones and the H set (H - 9H) are the harder ones. Then there is also HB and F, which fall in between. Using the softer pencils at first allowed me to transition from the method I was used to of using one very soft pencil with the smearing technique to produce the complete picture to using several softer pencils as a limited grayscale palette, while still relying on the smearing technique for blending and getting lighter grayscale shades. Eventually, I got used to the feel of changing pencils and of looking for the pencil that most accurately could replicate the shade I needed, and I could then broaden my selected pencils to include the harder ones on the palette to produce the lighter shades and to get crisper edges for lines. Practice, as they say, makes perfect, and my transitioning to a full palette including all graphite grayscale shades was complete.
Bye for now.
Thing 10 - del.icio.us
Hi all,
Today I looked at del.icio.us. It seems to be a very convenient way to have your Internet favorites even when you aren't using your own computer. It is particularly great for people who don't have Internet access at home, and use their local library's Internet access computers instead. It is important to tag each item because if you have a lot of favorites you can find the one you want to use more easily when you need it. It is also very easy to use.
Bye for now.
Today I looked at del.icio.us. It seems to be a very convenient way to have your Internet favorites even when you aren't using your own computer. It is particularly great for people who don't have Internet access at home, and use their local library's Internet access computers instead. It is important to tag each item because if you have a lot of favorites you can find the one you want to use more easily when you need it. It is also very easy to use.
Bye for now.
Friday, November 2, 2007
A blog entry about technology - "Thing # 9"
Hi all,
Now I'm ready for "Thing #9" of the BCL 23 Things for TLC 2.0. By the way, if you're not sure what I'm talking about, the link to it is http://blogs.library.nova.edu/tlc/?page_id=130. For this "thing" we are being asked to blog about technology.
Most people think of technology as getting on the computer and doing things like blogs and e-mail and digital photography, etc., and those are indeed aspects of technology today as it has grown and evolved over the years. However, being good at using these great electronic tools does not mean that one understands the technology enough to know what to do when something doesn't work right. A term such as "technology consumers" can be used to describe those who are good at using the technology and are up on all the latest software and Internet services, even to a great degree of skill. These days, with the extreme user friendliness of most electronic services and systems as compared to 20 or 30 years ago, it is possible to be very skilled at using those services or systems without having any understanding of the software or hardware that are used to access or enable them. When all functions properly, such understanding is generally not necessary unless one needs to do something unusual. And even then, often it is only necessary to learn a small portion of the background information in order to accomplish the task, such as a little html, for instance. But this is still not all there is to know. A person may know bits and pieces, enough to do what they need to do, but there is so much more to know before any of us can consider ourselves truly technological people. And there is so much knowledge and information that falls under the category "technology" that not any one person can possibly know it all; but people can become experts at various aspects, such as programming, or blogging, or the hardware problems, etc.
I taught myself programming in BASIC in 1979, and have always had an intuition for computer things, since back then when it was not chic to be considered a geek. Starting off in the field of physical science and then being in the field of libraries means that I have seen information go from primarily book based to largely computer based, and I have seen computers change from being applied almost exclusively to science or business tasks to being applied to a variety of tasks including consumer, recretional, and social interests. Not that business and science do not use their fair share of computing power; they must. However, the computer power devoted to other applications has grown tremendously, just as computer power and availability has grown by leaps and bounds. Having nearly a three decade perspective relating to computers enables me to see the value of both print and online resources and how they can complement eachother. A well prepared reference book by an authoritative author is reliable and often one can find information more quickly there than online because the information in it is organized and an experienced librarian knows the sources in his or her area of specialty, how to use those sources, and what can be found in each of them. On the other hand, the Internet is great for finding elusive information or very recent, up-to-date information such as news topics. However, the same concerns on evaluating the quality and reliability of sources that apply to print information also apply to Internet based information. Back 30 years ago people said "Just because it is in print does not mean it's true." Today we can also say "Just because it is on the Internet does not mean it's true." So I guess it can also be said, as the old adage goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
Bye for now,
Eileen
Now I'm ready for "Thing #9" of the BCL 23 Things for TLC 2.0. By the way, if you're not sure what I'm talking about, the link to it is http://blogs.library.nova.edu/tlc/?page_id=130. For this "thing" we are being asked to blog about technology.
Most people think of technology as getting on the computer and doing things like blogs and e-mail and digital photography, etc., and those are indeed aspects of technology today as it has grown and evolved over the years. However, being good at using these great electronic tools does not mean that one understands the technology enough to know what to do when something doesn't work right. A term such as "technology consumers" can be used to describe those who are good at using the technology and are up on all the latest software and Internet services, even to a great degree of skill. These days, with the extreme user friendliness of most electronic services and systems as compared to 20 or 30 years ago, it is possible to be very skilled at using those services or systems without having any understanding of the software or hardware that are used to access or enable them. When all functions properly, such understanding is generally not necessary unless one needs to do something unusual. And even then, often it is only necessary to learn a small portion of the background information in order to accomplish the task, such as a little html, for instance. But this is still not all there is to know. A person may know bits and pieces, enough to do what they need to do, but there is so much more to know before any of us can consider ourselves truly technological people. And there is so much knowledge and information that falls under the category "technology" that not any one person can possibly know it all; but people can become experts at various aspects, such as programming, or blogging, or the hardware problems, etc.
I taught myself programming in BASIC in 1979, and have always had an intuition for computer things, since back then when it was not chic to be considered a geek. Starting off in the field of physical science and then being in the field of libraries means that I have seen information go from primarily book based to largely computer based, and I have seen computers change from being applied almost exclusively to science or business tasks to being applied to a variety of tasks including consumer, recretional, and social interests. Not that business and science do not use their fair share of computing power; they must. However, the computer power devoted to other applications has grown tremendously, just as computer power and availability has grown by leaps and bounds. Having nearly a three decade perspective relating to computers enables me to see the value of both print and online resources and how they can complement eachother. A well prepared reference book by an authoritative author is reliable and often one can find information more quickly there than online because the information in it is organized and an experienced librarian knows the sources in his or her area of specialty, how to use those sources, and what can be found in each of them. On the other hand, the Internet is great for finding elusive information or very recent, up-to-date information such as news topics. However, the same concerns on evaluating the quality and reliability of sources that apply to print information also apply to Internet based information. Back 30 years ago people said "Just because it is in print does not mean it's true." Today we can also say "Just because it is on the Internet does not mean it's true." So I guess it can also be said, as the old adage goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
Bye for now,
Eileen
"Flickr Color Pickr" is really cool!
Hi all,
One of the 23 things we are working on this week are the third party tools available with Flickr, and they ask us to write about one we like. I like "Flickr Color Pickr". It's really cool how you can just pick a color and see pictures that are predominantly in that color. This is great if one is trying to put together a montage or just have pages of different colors to set a mood.
Bye for now,
Eileen
One of the 23 things we are working on this week are the third party tools available with Flickr, and they ask us to write about one we like. I like "Flickr Color Pickr". It's really cool how you can just pick a color and see pictures that are predominantly in that color. This is great if one is trying to put together a montage or just have pages of different colors to set a mood.
Bye for now,
Eileen
More on adding images and Flickr
Hi all,
I am working on another blog post as I continue my learning assignment. I have set up a Flickr account and posted a picture of the Broward County Main Library in Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/16910882@N06/. I also added the picture on the side in this blog entry using the blog photo import button. I then went back to Flickr and set up my own Flickr page and so the photo I uploaded to Flickr earlier is now at http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonrocker/1826645547/.
Then, I completed an exercise in which I created a card with the photo and then uploaded it to Flicker (please see next blog entry for details).
Bye for now.
Eileen
Monday, October 29, 2007
Flickr
Hi all,
This week we are looking at Flickr. After doing the sign-up exercise, I saw an incredible picture. The link to it is http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelstains/282063863/. I will be trying to upload some of my photos of the Library soon.
Bye for now.
Eileen
This week we are looking at Flickr. After doing the sign-up exercise, I saw an incredible picture. The link to it is http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelstains/282063863/. I will be trying to upload some of my photos of the Library soon.
Bye for now.
Eileen
Saturday, October 27, 2007
More on RSS
Hi all,
I learned how to make my RSS list public. The link is at http://www.bloglines.com/public/moonrocker. I've got some library news feeds as well as blogs by two patent librarians, one from Stephen van Dulken from the British Library in London, United Kingdom, and one from Michael White from the Engineering and Science Library at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Michael White worked for seven years at the US Patent and Trademark Office in the Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program Office prior to his move to Canada.
Regards,
Eileen
I learned how to make my RSS list public. The link is at http://www.bloglines.com/public/moonrocker. I've got some library news feeds as well as blogs by two patent librarians, one from Stephen van Dulken from the British Library in London, United Kingdom, and one from Michael White from the Engineering and Science Library at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Michael White worked for seven years at the US Patent and Trademark Office in the Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program Office prior to his move to Canada.
Regards,
Eileen
Monday, October 22, 2007
RSS
Hi all,
This is my second post. As part of the TLC 2.0 assignment we learned about RSS feeds: how to find them and how to use them. We learned about Bloglines and about various ways of getting RSS feeds added to our list. This is a very interesting aspect of the Internet. Most people are familiar with Google and other search engines, which are used to actively seek information that is posted. This takes time, and unless one can determine a search strategy that narrows the search well enough to get relevant information, there is a lot of irrelevant information that comes up. I would call this an active search. In a sense, RSS is the other side of the coin. One determines the most likely resources for the information one needs and then includes these in their list. Then, one can see what new information comes in. I would call this a passive search. Both methods of searching the wealth of information available online complement eachother.
Bye for now,
Eileen
This is my second post. As part of the TLC 2.0 assignment we learned about RSS feeds: how to find them and how to use them. We learned about Bloglines and about various ways of getting RSS feeds added to our list. This is a very interesting aspect of the Internet. Most people are familiar with Google and other search engines, which are used to actively seek information that is posted. This takes time, and unless one can determine a search strategy that narrows the search well enough to get relevant information, there is a lot of irrelevant information that comes up. I would call this an active search. In a sense, RSS is the other side of the coin. One determines the most likely resources for the information one needs and then includes these in their list. Then, one can see what new information comes in. I would call this a passive search. Both methods of searching the wealth of information available online complement eachother.
Bye for now,
Eileen
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
This is my first entry in my first blog
Hi all,
This is my first entry in my first blog. I am an Intellectual Property Librarian and Patent and Trademark Depository Library Representative before the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the Broward County Main Library. Our library has been selected to exhibit a moon rock. According to the library's press release "This moon rock is an Ambassador of Exploration Award given by NASA to Susan Eisele Black on behalf of her husband. She, in turn, has selected Broward County Library as the location for the gift." Donn F. Eisele was the command module pilot for Apollo 7, launched October 11, 1968, which was the first manned mission in the Apollo program to be launched. The moon rock will be formally presented on October 23, 2007 and it will be available for viewing beginning October 24, 2007. The Broward County Main Library is an officially designated Patent and Trademark Depository Library and Federal Depository Library, which can provide visitors with access to many Moon related government documents information.
The moon rock award is intended to serve as an inspiration to a new generation of explorers who will help toreturn humans to the moon and eventually on to Mars and beyond. The award is part of the 842 pounds of samples collected during the six Apollo lunar expeditions from 1969 to 1972. According to the NASA website at http://www.nasa.gov/news/special/exploration_ambassadors.html, "These awards are a fitting tribute and serve to remind each of us that great things can be achieved when we focus our energies and our resources on a specific goal," added the Administrator. "In January, President Bush charged us to carry humanity forward into the Universe, to gain a new foothold on the Moon, and to prepare for new journeys to worlds beyond our own. Each of us can be an Ambassador of Exploration and help secure America's preeminence in science and technology by supporting the Vision for Space Exploration." As Ambassadors of Exploration, the recipients will help communicate the benefits and excitement of space exploration and why the continuing investment in our future is vital to the security and vitality of America.
It is my hope that my blog can contribute to this goal. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics, a Master of Arts in Journalism and Communication, and a Master of Library Science.
Cheers,
Eileen
This is my first entry in my first blog. I am an Intellectual Property Librarian and Patent and Trademark Depository Library Representative before the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the Broward County Main Library. Our library has been selected to exhibit a moon rock. According to the library's press release "This moon rock is an Ambassador of Exploration Award given by NASA to Susan Eisele Black on behalf of her husband. She, in turn, has selected Broward County Library as the location for the gift." Donn F. Eisele was the command module pilot for Apollo 7, launched October 11, 1968, which was the first manned mission in the Apollo program to be launched. The moon rock will be formally presented on October 23, 2007 and it will be available for viewing beginning October 24, 2007. The Broward County Main Library is an officially designated Patent and Trademark Depository Library and Federal Depository Library, which can provide visitors with access to many Moon related government documents information.
The moon rock award is intended to serve as an inspiration to a new generation of explorers who will help toreturn humans to the moon and eventually on to Mars and beyond. The award is part of the 842 pounds of samples collected during the six Apollo lunar expeditions from 1969 to 1972. According to the NASA website at http://www.nasa.gov/news/special/exploration_ambassadors.html, "These awards are a fitting tribute and serve to remind each of us that great things can be achieved when we focus our energies and our resources on a specific goal," added the Administrator. "In January, President Bush charged us to carry humanity forward into the Universe, to gain a new foothold on the Moon, and to prepare for new journeys to worlds beyond our own. Each of us can be an Ambassador of Exploration and help secure America's preeminence in science and technology by supporting the Vision for Space Exploration." As Ambassadors of Exploration, the recipients will help communicate the benefits and excitement of space exploration and why the continuing investment in our future is vital to the security and vitality of America.
It is my hope that my blog can contribute to this goal. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics, a Master of Arts in Journalism and Communication, and a Master of Library Science.
Cheers,
Eileen
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