Method 7: Bookmarking and Tagging

I found some interesting bookmarks from the San Mateo Public Library (?) - forgot to write down the name. As an academic librarian, I can see how social bookmarking might be a great tool for students who are researching common themes. I don't see myself using them much. As a cataloger, perhaps I am a bit too "hung up" on LC subject headings or other controlled headings. Personally, I don't yet have a glut of bookmarks on my MSN favorites, so see no need to use other sites to control them.

Actually, again I am referring to Amazon.com - but they seem to have a well developed system of social bookmarking and tagging already - even giving you an opportunity to add a tag to a favorite book. When searching favorite authors, I am also given pointers on other authors that I might like that are similar in nature to the books I am researching (i.e. "cozy mysteries"). I am also given the opportunity to see other book reviews written by certain people. In a way - quite gently and quite successfully - I have already been led along the path of social bookmarking. Very interesting. Perhaps later I will come back to the step and do some more exploring. Meanwhile, I am running out of time.......

Method 6: Online videos

I really enjoyed this exercise. I will see whether or not I can post my favorite video as instructed. I enjoyed the library dominoes video, and the Round Rock Library's summer reading advertisement, "Sail away with a good book". In fact, all of the library videos were very innovative! There seems to be a lot of hidden talent lurking in the stacks! I think these kinds of innovative videos are great for showcasing what libraries have to offer. Such videos bring us out of the dusty, musty stacks age, and into the new techno savvy age. Since I work at a university library, obviously our videos might need to be a little more sophisticated, but really - who can beat a puppet show??

I have never been a real fan of Youtube, although this wasn't my first introduction to such videos. Anyone with a computer and e-mail has likely been sent a favorite video by a friend or colleague. Obviously, there is a lot of silliness and other stuff out there. I was warned by my techno savvy daughter to "be careful what I watched". ; ) I really am interested in the library sites, though, and will probably go back at my leisure and watch more, especially the Library of Congress site. I even sent a couple by e-mail to my friends and family for the first time. My favorite was the short clip of library dominoes, but I guess I am supposed to be more innovative and find another. Back in a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fW7MoINvQc

This is the Everly Brothers "All I have to do is dream", one of my favorite songs from my youth. However, I can tell that this is not going to be a clickable link. I am still missing something. Can't quite make it all connect!

I guess I will turn in this lesson as is, though. Then I will go back and see what else I can pick up.

Step 5: Exploring Flikr

Okay, I'm going to have to take a failing grade on this one, I guess. Although I created a Flickr account and dutifully read all the articles, I have no digital photos to upload. None at all. I found some lovely photos of African Violets, but they weren't mine, and Flickr discouraged adding someone else's photos to your blog - or so I understood. Re: "Flickr Community Guidelines". Perhaps I misunderstood, and the person whose African Violets I admired might be flattered that I wanted to include his/her plant photos. I don't know. Do you have to ask permission?

Speaking of this reminds me of Michael Stephens' article concerning infringement on personal rights and copyright law. I remember forty years or so ago, I was the subject of a couple of newspaper photographs that highlighted special events at the public library, where I worked as a college student. The photographer knew me, and presented me with the black and white glossy print after it ran in the newspaper. An interesting question arises: Do the photo rights belong to me, to the newspaper, or to the public library at which I am no longer employed? Or does it matter after forty years.? I'm sure it doesn't in my particular case, but it certainly makes me realize how "ticklish" the business of sharing photos and other information could be for a library or person.

As far as online photo sharing, I doubt that it will become a frequent pastime for me, especially since I do not yet own a digital camera. I would be much more interested in digitally scanning and sharing family ancestral photos with other cousins - and hopefully they will share in kind.

I liked the posting of library photographs, especially the Carnegie libraries. You don't see too many of the original ones anymore.

For the extra credit, I did take a look at Picasa and ended up creating an account with them also. So, ironically enough, I am now a card carrying member of two online photo sharing sites, with not a digital photograph to my name. From my uninitiated point of view, I really don't see a lot of difference in the two websites, although the British accent on the youtube video was quite difficult to follow.

So, on to step 6. This climb is getting steeper as it goes!

Step 4: RSS feeds

RSS feeds are really much like being on a listserv. With regular e-mail, this can be overwhelming and can easily fill up a mailbox. I can see how subscribing to a RSS feed could keep the special interest groups more organized, rather than having to skip through unrelated e-mails to keep up with a thread in one particular interest group. That being said, I believe that of the two more active RSS groups that I joined, the latest posts were all mixed together. I suppose that by clicking on one specific RSS feed, one would only get posts for that particular subject. I can see that I will have to do a lot more investigating in Google Reader. Now, to see if I can post my three subscriptions to this blog:

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.cousinconnect.com%2Frss%2Fa%2F0

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fz.about.com%2F6%2Fg%2Fchildrensbooks%2Fb%2Frss2.xml

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.epicurious.com%2Fservices%2Frss%2Ffeeds%2Fnewrecipes.xml

Whew! That was very unsophisticated and cumbersome, going back and forth in my Google account from my blog to my reader. I have a feeling that there is an easier method than the copy and paste that I used. I couldn't seem to get the hang of the "share" feature, and I'm pretty sure that was the correct way to go. However, as I've heard it said, "There is usually more than one way to do something with a computer." I will read the articles now and see if I can get a better idea of how to handle RSS feeds.

I will be on the alert for adding other RSS feeds of interest to my Google Reader. I know I have been invited to some interesting ones, but didn't really know what they were for. Now, at least I have the concept down.

Step 3: Cloud computing

First of all, I dutifully tried out both Google docs and Zoho. I uploaded a document from my pc and tried to add to or edit it in Google, but I found the interface "clunky" and difficult to use. I can see the potential in being able to move a document into Google, if I were writing a paper and needed to work on it using different public access computers. I could also see how it might be useful for a group project, where everyone could add their research to a document or spreadsheet, etc. When I went into Zoho, I decided to try out the e-mail, just for something different. However, after writing a brief message and trying to e-mail it to myself and another person , I was given the message the "the address could not be found". I tried going to what I thought was an addresses book and adding the contacts to it, but it would not cooperate. Since I have enough problems with my own microsoft e-mail, I do not think I will be likely to try anything with Zoho again.

I began to get a little paranoid when I heard the web called the "one" and THE machine and that our personal devices are like little mirrors looking into one supreme intellectual storage unit. I shook my head during part of the articles, and nodded agreement with those whose blog comments urged discretion. I don't really think that I will ever entirely endorse cloud computing for myself. However, I am grateful for the insight into the mindset of the younger and more techno savvy users. Of course, one of these days, an "AI" librarian may replace us all. Just look for me back in the dusty shelves with all the musty volumes and cobwebs! ; )

Methods 1 and 2

As a person who learned to type on a manual typewriter (and many people today have never even seen one of those!), I find that the Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 has a lot of information that is difficult to wrap my brain around. There is a lot of change, and a lot of new things to learn about.
I hope that in the midst of all these new innovations, which the young grasp so eagerly and easily, Library 2.0 will try to remain “user friendly” to people of my generation, as well as keeping step with the current generation.
The most user-friendly example that I can think of is the Amazon site. As a lifelong bibliophile, I have navigated several online bookseller sites. Amazon is not only easy to use (for me), but I can access almost any product I might desire to buy from their website. They have partnered with very small used book dealers for out-of-print or rare editions, as well as other booksellers who might be considered rivals, to build a mutually beneficial marketing empire.
If Library 2.0 were to follow Amazon’s example, perhaps libraries could begin mutually beneficial partnerships with other learning centers, from smaller public libraries to museums and perhaps even used book dealers. Links to publishers are already included with many bibliographic records. Digitization of local historical papers could have far-reaching influence, not just locally, but for researchers in particular aspects of history around the globe.
An old-school cataloger, I’m not sure if I am yet ready to open the bibliographic records up for patron “tagging” and book reviews as Amazon has done. However, if that is what is coming, then I must be ready for it.
This is about as far as my brain will stretch at the moment, but I realize I have only barely skimmed the surface of new technology.