The End, Again....

So what have I learned...a lot.

The first time around Web 2.0 was so foreign to me that this activity contributed to several mini breakdowns and embarrassing tantrums. But in the end I'm glad for it because I discovered that I had erected so many mental road blocks to unfamiliar technologies that I was in danger of becoming a techno-phobe. I found out that most of the Web 2.0 platforms out there make it very easy and I had caused myself frustration for no reason. 

I was also forced to confront my tendency to be inflexible. And as they say awareness is half the battle. So now even though it may a format or service I will never use I realize I owe it to myself and have an obligation to the future library patrons I will serve to be knowledgeable and skilled. 

As for Information Literacy, I think it is central to any and all librarianship. There are so many resources available to us as teachers and learners. And Web 2.0 allows us to be really creative in making information literacy compelling and interesting. It seems like we live in a world saturated with information but it can really challenging to filter through it. Ultimately, the information is only as good as our ability to find and critically evaluate it. 

Like the old adage...

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

 

I say...

Give a person the information and you feed their mind for a day. Teach a person to find the information and you feed their mind for a lifetime.

Or something like that :)

Social Networking...

Social Networking...I think we are all familiar with it by now. Who or what doesn't have a Facebook page nowadays?

I work in a small academic library and the office manager has a Facebook page she uses to keep in touch with all the student assistants. I think that concept could be expanded to a forum for all students to have access to library information and resources. 

Since I am already familiar with FB I poked around a Ning page for Law Librarians. Ning is a nifty platform for professionals to create a site. It allows for groups, photos, blogging, videos. While it isn't completely free for small groups up to 150 members it only costs $2.95 a month or $19.95 a year.

The site I looked at can be found at 

http://lawlibraries.ning.com/

 

My first impression is that this is a great tool for librarians and Information Literacy teachers to network, collaborate, and share ideas. There are multiple group pages for local librarians, various topics, and issues. They have an Information Literacy group where members can contribute and comment on teaching legal research skills. 

 

I thought this was a great way to have a dialogue about ways to teach IL and to learn from each others experiences. 

Are iphone Apps Web 2.0?

So, I mentioned before that my Uncle works for a school and that they abandoned Second Life. He also mentioned that they use an iphone Algebra App.

So, are Apps part of Web 2.0? I think they might be, but they are not included in the 23 Things Web 2.0 activities. Nonetheless, my curiosity has been piqued!

I am sadly sans smart phone. So a Google search was in order. One website listed the best education apps which were all aimed at what I assume are toddlers, i.e. learning the alphabet, matching games. Which begs the question do 3 year olds have iphones now?

But, there are also apps for astronomy, building flashcards, foreign languages, math, spelling, even to help organize homework assignments. Some are free others range from $.99 to $4.99.

Why not an Information Literacy App?

Second Life and Information Literacy...

There is definite potential for IL instruction in a virtual environment but I remain skeptical as to how successful teaching of any kind will be in the present format. 

For me having to navigate around to find activities or assignments is too time consuming. My impression is that a virtual course is just like blackboard except you walk your avatar around instead of just clicking on a link and reading the info.

For adult IL education I think Second Life is too juvenile. But, it may be useful for younger students. I am especially interested to see if educational institutions begin to build their own virtual worlds and if it proves to be affordable or successful in the long run.

If individually developed and maintained virtual worlds can be feasibly carried out for schools it would be cool if the faculty and librarians could develop curriculum collaboratively. Perhaps, the virtual classroom would involve a virtual librarian (sort of like an embedded librarian in a normal online class) who can provide tailored IL tools which are relevant to that particular class.

Hmm, More on Second Life...

I began to wonder if Second Life was completely irrelevant. A little Google searching however gave me pause to think.

A 2010 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, entitled "After Frustration in Second Life, Colleges look to new virtual worlds" by Jeffrey Young confirmed my suspicions.The author echoes my Uncles evaluation. 

But, while Second Life may not be an ideal medium for virtual instruction there may be alternatives. The one that seemed the most appropriate is being developed by the makers of Second Life, Linden Labs, that would be tailored to education. Colleges or other learning institutions could develop a virtual school that is limited to faculty and students.

I also saw that the University of Texas created a collaborative virtual learning archipelago in Second Life with each of its campuses occupying an island. So it seems Second Life is not obsolete.

Virtual Worlds and Second Life....

Second Life is an online virtual world. You create an avatar for yourself and can travel around in the 3-D world. Educators have set up virtual colleges, classrooms, and so on in Second Life for instruction and advising purposes. 

The Web 2.0 activity is to register for a free account and visit the Second Life Information Island. 

So I registered, downloaded the software, picked an avatar and began exploring. I was supposed to be able to "teleport" but found myself wandering around aimlessly looking for anything that said library.

It seems like a cool idea. I mean I like to play the Sims. But, Second Life was clunkier than the Sims and I kept bumping into things. Frustration began to set in.

So I called my Uncle who works for a Florida school that I knew at one point had a virtual campus and student counseling service in Second Life. This is what he said...

"Second Life was pretty cool in the beginning but it got so huge, commercial,
and scary (you could actually get robbed. Peaceful librarians would take on the alter ego of assassins), that I became disinterested. We tried doing a virtual school there but it never took off. I really think the trend toward mobility in entertainment and education also sunk it. It isn't much fun on an iPhone. On the other hand we developed an Algebra I app that people can download from iTunes that has been a huge hit. Kids love it and they get to pass their math class."

Wikis and Information Literacy...

So since wikis are easy to set up and free any librarian, library, or teacher could create one dedicated to information literacy. And much like podcasts and videos the content can be focused around the theory and instruction of IL for professionals to contribute and reflect and have a shared community space. Or a wiki could be developed for students with a variety of instructional content. 

Some information literacy wikis out there limit who can edit and create content.Some only allow teachers or librarians to contribute, some are open to everyone, and some allow anyone but they must be a member first. 

One idea I liked was having the wiki developed, created, edited, and maintained by an IL professional(s) but has a journal area where students can contribute.

I also liked how one wiki separates content that is scholarly from personal. The wiki has designated areas for objective encyclopedic entries and for personal reflections and anecdotes. 

Really it seems like the only limits to how effective and engaging a libraries wiki for information literacy are ones of creativity and imagination.

Wikis...

This activity involves discovering what wikis are and how libraries are using them.

Confession:

When I hear wiki I immediately think Wikipedia. So my gut reaction is that wikis are bad because Wikipedia is bad. Bad in so far as students using it as a source in their work. 

But, as with everything else Web 2.0 I have had my assumptions challenged.

So wikis are collaborative websites which have all kinds of uses and applications.

The first thing that is awesome about wikis is that one doesn't have to be a computer programmer to figure it out. Which is good because although technology is central to librarianship in many ways most librarians are not IT people.

Some cool things about wikis for libraries is that they can be set up for different purposes. Some have wikis for pathfinders, subject guides, book clubs, so on and so forth. I think this seems like a great tool for public libraries to use for community building and for children' programs.I also like that they can be completely open or set to different levels of restriction on who can edit content. 

An article by Meredith Farkas (http://www.webjunction.org/technology/web-tools/articles/content/438229) details how libraries are also using wikis internally to provide a sort of information hub accessible by staff. 

I can really relate to this because at the library where I work we get e-mails about everything. The library also has a folder for policy information etc.. but it's only accessible from a computer in the library and requires a separate log in and takes forever when trying to figure something out quickly. A library wiki for staff would be perfect to cut down on e-mails (which are all flagged high importance!) and put all the info that we might need to consult at some point in a more organized and stable format than 300 e-mails.

Blogs...

Before starting the Web 2.0 Challenge I never read blogs or had a blog or thought about blogs and had a vague assumption that they were symptomatic of a self absorbed society .

But after actually being forced to explore library related blogs I realized there are some truly insightful and informative blogs being created by library professionals. One of my favorite is "In the Library with the Lead Pipe". 

Check it out:

 http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/

And now I have also had my eyes opened to the blogs out there dedicated to information literacy. Some are by librarians or teachers recording their experiences. Some are instructional and intended for students. Some are for professionals and deal with theory and IL instruction.

 

No matter what the focus or intended audience blogs are a great tool for those involved in information literacy. First off they are free! They are easy to set up and easy to follow.

YouTube...

So I went to YouTube and typed in "Information Literacy".

It yielded 4,250 results. 

A quick perusal revealed there are a substantial amount of really good videos dedicated to information literacy. The topics range from explaining IL and why it's important, to instruction, to tutorials for students. The biggest focus seems to be on evaluating sources, critical thinking, and how to find credible sources.

Of course, the biggest advantage to YouTube is probably the ease of accessibility. Even though younger students are becoming more and more tech savvy YouTube is still a format that practically everyone is familiar with and comfortable using. And while podcasts are great for audio learners some students need visuals.

Libraries can make their own videos tailored to the information literacy needs of their patrons. IL teachers can do the same. 

One area I find interesting is the potential for teaching adult information literacy in a public library environment.I think it's an intriguing challenge but an opportunity to help adults become more familiar and confident with technology. It's also a really great service the public library could provide for free to the community

Podcasts and RSS Feeds...

In completing the 23 Things activity last semester I explored podcasts and RSS feeds. And after poking around Google for a while I discovered there are quite a few podcasts dedicated to information literacy out there.

Librarians and IL instructors could create their own podcasts and make them available through the library website, blog, or wiki. Users can subscribe to the RSS feed which can also be added to the webpage to provide updates.

I think it's a great tool for both communicating with students but also to make information available to IL professionals. A lot of the podcasts I found deal with discussions, methodologies, and general issues that are prevalent in IL instruction. So podcasts and RSS feeds can be used to provide instruction to students but also serve as a venue and resource for those teaching IL.

Podcasts could be used as a supplement to existing information literacy programs. They could be produced as a succinct series addressing different IL topics. Podcasts and RSS feeds are something most younger students are familiar with and comfortable using and they are relatively simple and low cost for the provider. 

23 Things Continued...

I will now be taking my 23 Things blog activity into the realm of information literacy instruction. To do this I will be thinking about some of the activities previously completed  such as Podcasts, RSS feeds, YouTube and Blogs but thinking about ways in which web 2.0 tools can be utilized for teaching.

And I'll also do the activities for wikis, virtual worlds, and social networking for the first time while also considering their value to Information Literacy Instruction.

And now the end is here...

Well, I've reached the end of my Web 2.0 adventures and I have learned a few things.

First, technology and the Internet are my friend.

I'm not proud of it but activities 1 and 2 did result in a number of mini meltdowns.

But I persevered!

And as I worked my way through the other 6 activities it became increasingly easier and more fun.

So, lesson 1:

Be confident, don't anticipate failure, and keep in mind it is usually easier than you think.

Second, Web 2.0, 3.0, and so on will be important to the future of libraries. So I better make it a habit to keep learning.

Lesson 2:

Don't abandon the past but be flexible, adaptable, and receptive to new ideas.

It looks like I'm picking up some of those habits of a lifelong learner after all!

Library of Congress, Woman Aircraft Worker

Activity #8: Flickr

This activity was to look around Flickr and find an interesting photo to blog about.

In a previous post I included some info about the Library of Congress publishing some of their photo collections on Flickr. So my interest was piqued. The LC has all these pictures on their website but more people would find them through Flickr I suppose. Interesting, no?

All the photographs were terrific, but I picked one that reminded me of my grandmother. It is a picture of a "woman aircraft worker" circa 1939. My grandma worked for a shell manufacturing plant during WWII, so it made me think of her.

The picture is available through the following links:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179930812/" title="Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Shown checking electrical assemblies (LOC) by The Library of Congress, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2293/2179930812_1c734d4726.jpg" width="500" height="408" alt="Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Shown checking electrical assemblies (LOC)" /></a>

Activity #7: Play with an Online Image Generator

This is a just for fun activity. So I went to the FD Toys link and played around with some of their photo manipulators. It's kind of neat but I would like more ability to really customize layouts and what not.

The link to the website is:

http://bighugelabs.com/

And here is my picture that I created with their Pop Art Poster tool.

Ooops! I forgot to post the video..."Library of Congress' Flickr Strategy"

Activity #6: YouTube

This activity was to explore YouTube, find a video of interest and post it to my blog, and to consider ways elements of YouTube could be applied to library websites.

Of course like practically everyone else I am familiar with YouTube. Even if it is only to watch videos of adorable sneezing pandas. But, occassionally one stumbles onto content which is instructional or informative.

Case in point, I found a video which I think is particularly apropo for this blog posted by the Library of Congress. The video is...

"Voices TV: Featuring the Library of Congress' Flickr Strategy"

The video details the LC's use of Flickr to showcase their photograph collections. The hosts speak about the use of Flickr as a way to increase awareness about their photography collections. Interestingly, they also discuss how the choice to make content available on a site like Flickr was a way to gain experience using Web 2.0 to the libraries advantage.

Pretty cool!

But, back to YouTube...

Libraries could definitely use videos to reach out to patrons. Especially, now that so much of the libraries materials are digital or technology based resources. I work at the circulation desk in a library and the vast majority of questions are related to technological issues. I've been surprised at the amount of patrons who aren't comfortable with the online catalog let alone navigating the databases.

Libraries could easily upload instructional videos to their websites to more clearly and easily guide patrons through the intricacies of online tools.

Another way libraries could incorporate YouTube qualities into their websites would be to post videos about unique things going on there. For instance, a library that houses particularly rare or locally significant historical archives could create videos or a series of videos about their collections.

Activity #5: Web 2.0 Tools and the Web 2.0 Awards

This activity was to pick a website that was nominated for the Web 2.0 Awards and blog about it's pros and cons and potential for library use.

It was suggested to pick a category of interest and go from there. I picked a website from my absolute favorite category in life, FOOD! So I looked at Urbanspoon, a site I use frequently. Since I am already familiar with the tools and set up of Urbanspoon it's becoming clearer what Web 2.0 is really all about.

I like Urbanspoon for several reasons. First off, we can never decide where to eat so the various search categories usually help narrow our choices. I like that the site can be navigated by cuisine, location, price, ambiance, or special features. And while I may not necessarily always agree I usually find user reviews helpful.

Now, I'm not sure that I'm on the right track here but I see some potentially interesting applications that libraries could use to their advantage. I think this might be something more applicable to maybe a countywide library effort not individual libraries but here are a few ideas...

From Urbanspoon to a Library near you:

1. "Restaurants Near" category

Since libraries serve the community (and often a somewhat specific community) they could work to create a dynamic relationship with neighboring cultural centers, theaters, educational projects, community projects etc... It would be a way to engage in the broader community, advocate for the library, and provide even more services to their patrons.

2. "Can't decide where to eat?" widget

There may be things like this at some libraries but how about a "Can't decide what to read?" tool. Instead of setting categories to Italian, cheap, Tampa the patron could pick Fiction, 18th century, French...or whatever.

3. Special Features and User Feedback

This might be a little wierd but you never know. Libraries within a certain area could advertise for their unique qualities or services and patrons could make comments, suggestions, and so on.

4. Online Reservations

I think all libraries allow for online renewals and holds on materials so this might be redundant. But if libraries started using Web 2.0 technologies in such accessible formats like Urbanspoon then patrons could easily find and use tools like renewing books. Because as it is I'm afraid a lot of people remain unaware of all the tools available on most library websites.

So those are just a few ideas that libraries could take from commercial sites using Web 2.0 technologies.

Activity #4: Podcasts

Challenge... Find a podcast that interests you (perhaps one library related) and link the RSS feed into my blog.

Confession...I have heard a podcast or two but have heretofore relied entirely on my computer savvy husband to do all things tech related for me. I know it's shameful!

So I had absolutely no idea how to find podcasts or subscribe to them or to link them to something else. I am happy to report it was surprisingly simple and caused me no frustration.

I often listen to podcasts in the car and was happy to discover that the Library of Congress has a few podcasts on different topics. I subscribed to the series "Music and the Brain", but there are others on really interesting subjects like oral histories, digital preservation, and the National Book Festival.

I think podcasts could be a wonderful tool for libraries to create interest and excite people about topics, research, projects, events, and so on.

The Library of Congress: Music and the Brain

The Library of Congress: Music and the Brain

The Atheist Experience

The Atheist Experience

Yay! I linked a podcast to my blogger page :)

Library Thing for Librarians (and aspiring Librarians)

There is a group on the site called, "Librarians who Library Thing".

One way I will incorporate Library Thing into my professional practice is to become a member of the group because it is a great way to gauge trends, issues, and in general what other librarians are concerned with.

Especially, as a student I think there is a lot to be learned from reading librarians discussions. For example, I'm not certain if I want to focus on archives or public service libraries or academic libraries and it will be helpful to check out the various groups. There are archivists, catalogers, circulation, reference and several other groups.

Activity #3: Explore Library Thing

The 3rd activity is to create an account with Library Thing, add 5 books to my library, blog about my findings, and post a link to my catalog.

Well...I'm learning as I go. The post prior to this one was my attempt to share my catalog. But I'm not sure that was successful. But I think and hope this is the right link:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Zoepenelope

It should be clear by now that I am completely in the dark about almost everything Web 2.0, and Library Thing was no exception. So I set up my account and poked around the site for  a while. There are a lot of really neat features that I will actually use in the future.

Some of my favorite things are the groups, discussions, and reviews.

Reason #1: I don't usually have anyone to talk with about a new book I've read.

Reason #2: Sometimes I just don't know what to read next.

I also liked the use of Tags. I actually just started learning about how Metadata and tags work and it's helpful to see how they are applied. I like history so I clicked on the history tag and there are tons of sub-groups for different interests with various topics and discussions.

Also, It may be a bit voyeuristic but it is kind of interesting to see what other people who share your reading preferences are also reading. It seems like a good way to discover new books.

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RSS Feeds and Libraries

"How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?" 

 

A significant issue I have become aware of is the importance of library advocacy. The ALA and other library associations all participate in advocating for the value of libraries, the need for funding, and on legislative matters. Libraries also play an important part in the communities they serve. For all these reasons (and I'm sure more) libraries could take advantage of the communication value inherent in RSS feeds.

 

The Library of Congress has multiple RSS feeds. Theirs keeps people abreast of the latest news ranging from,...well it's too many to list here, but from news, events, topics, preservation, new books, music, poetry,and on and on.

The link to the Library of Congress feed page is:

http://www.loc.gov/rss/#librarians

 

 

 

Activity #2: RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds are a revelation!

I was largely unfamiliar with RSS feeds but now that I have set up my page on Bloglines I have seen the light.

So... the activity involves learning a bit about how RSS feeds work, setting up an account on Bloglines, and subscribing to 10 feeds. Again I became a bit frustrated because apparently my husband has installed every spy ware mechanism possible on the computer. Then it took me a while to figure out that widgets aren't the same as RSS feeds. So I have ten widgets and ten RSS feed.

Once I figured out how to subscribe to the feeds that I wanted I became really excited about the format. The RSS feeds I chose are from news sources I regularly read anyway except streamlined and without all the adds and distractions. It's so simple and concise. I suppose that's why they call it "Really Simple Syndication".

So the ten RSS feeds I subscribed to are:

CM Library Readers Club

Bay News 9

NPR

The Hayden Planetarium

Al Jazeera

Scientific American

BBC

Reddit

White House.gov Blog

The New York Times

I also like the widgets because I have all my interests together on one page. I don't have to visit each website separately.

There's an awful lot of information out there nowadays which is a wonderful thing, but I like that the RSS feeds condense everything for you. I think it helps to keep us more informed in a more efficient way.

How to incorporate my blogging experience into professional practice...

Considering that blogging was my first activity and I was resistant to the challenge I'm a little more aware of my own limitations and how they conflict with my professional goals. As a librarian I want and will need to be flexible, open, and eager to learn new technologies because they will be an important part of librarianship in the future.

Activity #1: Blogging and Lifelong Learning

The first exercise is to set up a blog and try out a few initial postings. Done!

My initial trepidation with all things technological has been eased. I was pleasantly surprised by how clearly explained and uncomplicated the process was. Even for an admitted computerphobe like me.

I have never subscribed to a blog (except for the library blogs required for my LIS 5020 class) and have generally considered them to be indulgent. But I did not realize the prevalence of blogs dedicated to actual issues or the role they play in professional communities.

This leads me to the second part of this activity...lifelong learning. While I consider myself a person who values learning and the lifelong pursuit thereof I do resist learning about anything computer related. I tend to become frustrated easily and I think it's entirely possible that electronic devices cease to work properly in my presence.

Which brings me to the first lifelong learning habit that does not come quite so easily for me, to "view problems as challenges."

For me problems become challenges after the fact when everything has worked out well. But of course this sets up obstacles from the get go...so I'll work on that.

The habits that do come more easily are to set goals ("Begin with the end in mind") and to "accept responsibility for my own learning." Simply put because otherwise nothing would get done.

And perhaps the one that resonates the most with me is that it is never too late and you're never too old to learn. Wouldn't it be sad if we all just quit learning new things once we reached a certain age or achieved a certain milestone?

Learning 2.0

For this blog I will be using PLMC's Learning 2.0 program. If you would like to view their "23 Learning 2.0 Things" this is the link:

http://plcmcl2-things.blogspot.com/

Well....

I have encountered my first frustrations with blogging or more accurately trying to find my blog again. Hopefully when I reach the end of the WEB 2.0 challenge the internet will no longer be my nemesis.

Twenty Three Things

Hello to all the hopeful librarians out there...

This is my blog of twenty three things activities. I will be embarking on a challenge to explore web 2.0 and recording my findings. So here I go....