I did find the blog as an effective educational tool...and continue to be surprised by the buzzing blogging community that exists around libraries, information and social software. All in all - I learned a significant amount and am very happy with this course experience.
My only suggestion: Doing our group project on a wiki, creating a blog, having a Facebook profile, tagging things, etc. enriches understanding significantly...but writing almost every week, in addition to a blog review, written presentation and a research paper didn't leave as much time to explore the applications. While I appreciate that the weekly blogging is a key element of the course (and a good one in my mind), perhaps one of the assignments could be more functional/pratical (I don't know...tell a story at a campfire in Second Life or create useful RSS feeds for an imagined researcher...ok, not very inspired examples, but you get the idea) to move us a bit away from the theory/analysis?
...just a thought....
Monday, August 6, 2007
Social Software for me
I am officially hooked on a lot of these applications now!
So...here's my quick summary of my thoughts on each of the applications that we looked at:
Blogs & blogging
Love them! I will likely keep blogging (I did blog before this course though), but - depending on what I end up doing - I may revert to the more personal, "for family and friends" blogging that I had done in the past. I was surprised at how much I didn't know about blogs and blogging. I will definitely use blogs as an information source more now - certainly they seem to be the place to go for information on Social Software!
RSS
Yep - will continue to use this...probably mostly to keep up to date on my friends' blogs. I would use it for current awareness on any specific subject that I needed to be up-to-date on and I would also use it to support researchers within a library setting and alert them via email of new publications.
Wikis
I was very pleased with my experience using wikis for our group presentation, and would take advantage of a wiki again for any collaborative project that I might be involved in or be facilitating. (PS I still love Wikipedia.)
Social bookmarking, tagging, etc.
This is the one that surprised me the most. I knew almost nothing about it at the beginning of the course and have become an avid tagger. I have a lot of sites that I use pretty often and find this as an ideal way to access them easily and to organize them. I also have started using them to share articles & sites with friends. For me, this was the greatest "oh wow - this is exactly what I need!" part in this course.
Online social networks
I was on Facebook before this course so will continue to use it - especially to stay in touch with fellow students after graduation! I am certainly more savvy about some of the potential problems and some of the possible uses of OSN now. I would be interested in setting up my own little OSN on something like Ning.com (thanks for that, Marco!). Would I use it in a library? I think so. At minimum, I would create a library profile.
Gaming & Virtual Worlds
Aye...there's the rub. Ok, I am convinced that they have value, and feel like I have learned a lot about them in theory. In fact, I have had a bit of a change of heart about gaming. I simply need to spend some time wandering in Second Life, and actually try an interactive game - sounds like a good way to spend a rainy day! Will I use them? yep! I am pretty confident (given my love of games in the non-online state) that I will become pretty hooked!
Use in libraries? I am not 100% convinced yet, but am open to it - I don't know if virtual worlds should be used in libraries, but I definitely think libraries and librarians should be in the virtual worlds!
Overall
This course has piqued my interest and I will continue to explore these applications - I do think they are here to stay and can contribute greatly to the provision of library service.
So...here's my quick summary of my thoughts on each of the applications that we looked at:
Blogs & blogging
Love them! I will likely keep blogging (I did blog before this course though), but - depending on what I end up doing - I may revert to the more personal, "for family and friends" blogging that I had done in the past. I was surprised at how much I didn't know about blogs and blogging. I will definitely use blogs as an information source more now - certainly they seem to be the place to go for information on Social Software!
RSS
Yep - will continue to use this...probably mostly to keep up to date on my friends' blogs. I would use it for current awareness on any specific subject that I needed to be up-to-date on and I would also use it to support researchers within a library setting and alert them via email of new publications.
Wikis
I was very pleased with my experience using wikis for our group presentation, and would take advantage of a wiki again for any collaborative project that I might be involved in or be facilitating. (PS I still love Wikipedia.)
Social bookmarking, tagging, etc.
This is the one that surprised me the most. I knew almost nothing about it at the beginning of the course and have become an avid tagger. I have a lot of sites that I use pretty often and find this as an ideal way to access them easily and to organize them. I also have started using them to share articles & sites with friends. For me, this was the greatest "oh wow - this is exactly what I need!" part in this course.
Online social networks
I was on Facebook before this course so will continue to use it - especially to stay in touch with fellow students after graduation! I am certainly more savvy about some of the potential problems and some of the possible uses of OSN now. I would be interested in setting up my own little OSN on something like Ning.com (thanks for that, Marco!). Would I use it in a library? I think so. At minimum, I would create a library profile.
Gaming & Virtual Worlds
Aye...there's the rub. Ok, I am convinced that they have value, and feel like I have learned a lot about them in theory. In fact, I have had a bit of a change of heart about gaming. I simply need to spend some time wandering in Second Life, and actually try an interactive game - sounds like a good way to spend a rainy day! Will I use them? yep! I am pretty confident (given my love of games in the non-online state) that I will become pretty hooked!
Use in libraries? I am not 100% convinced yet, but am open to it - I don't know if virtual worlds should be used in libraries, but I definitely think libraries and librarians should be in the virtual worlds!
Overall
This course has piqued my interest and I will continue to explore these applications - I do think they are here to stay and can contribute greatly to the provision of library service.
Social Software in Libraries
Hmmm...for this post, assessing the final "big" questions:
Does social software have a place in library service provision?
What social software applications can be harnessed by information organizations?
SS absolutely has a place within library service provision. Each SS application offers another way to get information to patrons - this is, after all, what the library is all about, non? I would argue that the questioning of SS as a valid method of service provision might be more about a resistance to change than about its inappropriateness as within the realm of library service provision. The questioning of the value of online gaming or online social networks seems to echo, to a certain degree, the value questions surrounding other new formats or methods (like the arguments against Graphic Novels as 'quality' reading).
I would not even begin to suggest that the every SS application has a place in every library, nor that the SS applications are without flaws. I do think that they need to be added to every librarian's arsenal of potential tools for information provision, so that they can be considered along with more traditional methods. In fact, I don't understand what the fuss is about. If it you think it might be effective in your library, try it - especially the free applications.
I think that all social software has the potential to be harnessed by information organizations. Certainly, different applications work better within different situations, it will be the job of the librarian to assess their own user groups.
Academic libraries seem like an ideal place to be leaders for much of this as their user group are often very computer-literate and exist within a structured community that may be better able to provide training and instruction on these resources. Public libraries serving rural populations, institutions offering distance education, or groups attempting to work together from different locations, while I think they might come up against some specific challenges (i.e. no high speed access in rural locations, remote instruction on the systems that are needed for the instruction), seem ideally suited to reap the benefits of SS.
I think that the "low-hanging fruit" of the SS applications are blogs, RSS, and wikis because:
Does social software have a place in library service provision?
What social software applications can be harnessed by information organizations?
SS absolutely has a place within library service provision. Each SS application offers another way to get information to patrons - this is, after all, what the library is all about, non? I would argue that the questioning of SS as a valid method of service provision might be more about a resistance to change than about its inappropriateness as within the realm of library service provision. The questioning of the value of online gaming or online social networks seems to echo, to a certain degree, the value questions surrounding other new formats or methods (like the arguments against Graphic Novels as 'quality' reading).
I would not even begin to suggest that the every SS application has a place in every library, nor that the SS applications are without flaws. I do think that they need to be added to every librarian's arsenal of potential tools for information provision, so that they can be considered along with more traditional methods. In fact, I don't understand what the fuss is about. If it you think it might be effective in your library, try it - especially the free applications.
I think that all social software has the potential to be harnessed by information organizations. Certainly, different applications work better within different situations, it will be the job of the librarian to assess their own user groups.
Academic libraries seem like an ideal place to be leaders for much of this as their user group are often very computer-literate and exist within a structured community that may be better able to provide training and instruction on these resources. Public libraries serving rural populations, institutions offering distance education, or groups attempting to work together from different locations, while I think they might come up against some specific challenges (i.e. no high speed access in rural locations, remote instruction on the systems that are needed for the instruction), seem ideally suited to reap the benefits of SS.
I think that the "low-hanging fruit" of the SS applications are blogs, RSS, and wikis because:
- there are so many free options
- they are relatively easy to create, use, and participate in
- their purpose and uses seem more obviously "informational" and so seem less foreign to traditional library service provision than virtual worlds and online social networks perhaps do.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Virtual Worlds.
Van Eck argues convincingly for the use of gaming in learning. His thoughts on careful evaluation of the game and how to integrate it with more traditional learning (i.e. teaming the "build a roller coaster" game with a physics class) suggest that these games, if chosen and used well, can add true value to a students' learning experience. He also points out that today's "Net Generation" learns differently than its predecessors as they
"require multiple streams of information, prefer inductive reasoning, want frequent and quick interactions with content, and have exceptional visual literacy skills".
I begin to wonder if it is not long (or is it already now!?!) before the classroom environment that I grew up with is as outdated and ineffective as my parent's school experience (rote memorization, slide rulers) seems to me.
Squire & Steinkuehler highlight a great example of how collaborative learning is happening in online gaming communities. I have to admit that I knew that these multi-player games were huge, but I had no idea that there was such a scholarly community that had developed around it. I was impressed by the gaming 'university' that was created and the methods in which learning happened: saving your game every 40 turns, commenting on it and submitting it for discussion? Cool. I also note that they have completely broken down the teacher/student dynamic and, while Squire & Steinkuehler point out that there are still experts that are recogninized as knowledgeable and are well-respected, anyone can contribute and the teacher/student line is quite blurred. How does this impact our own concepts of authority and evaluation criteria?
Certainly, I have noticed how the resources I am using for this course are quite different from those I am using for others: blogs are a significant and totally acceptable format. In fact, because this is such an evolving topic, these formats perhaps function much better than more traditional publishing because they are more current and interactive, ideal for fostering discussion on emerging topics.
I agree whole-heartedly with Levine's statement about the importance of understanding these virtual worlds.Let's pay attention and make use of this new technology now while it is still young, rather wait until it is so ubiquitous that we are "forced" to start using it, and we have had no impact on how it developed.
Jenkins highlights arguments that Second Life is over-hyped, pointing out how that we are unlikely to ever "go completely virtual" as virtual world connections and socializations often echo real life ones. Really, when I sign up for Second Life, I will immediately hunt for people that I know in real life.
I am at my parents' place with a dial-up connection (I KNOW!!) today so am not even going to attempt to finish signing up for Second Life until later...look for me though!
My name will be Sherman Lundquist.
BTW - I'm not gonna lie: The Shifted Librarian article actually made me consider the purchase of a Playstation for a moment. Inconceivable! (said, of course, in the lispy manner of The Princess Bride's Sicilian. Hmmm...perhaps I'll model my avatar after him.)
"require multiple streams of information, prefer inductive reasoning, want frequent and quick interactions with content, and have exceptional visual literacy skills".
I begin to wonder if it is not long (or is it already now!?!) before the classroom environment that I grew up with is as outdated and ineffective as my parent's school experience (rote memorization, slide rulers) seems to me.
Squire & Steinkuehler highlight a great example of how collaborative learning is happening in online gaming communities. I have to admit that I knew that these multi-player games were huge, but I had no idea that there was such a scholarly community that had developed around it. I was impressed by the gaming 'university' that was created and the methods in which learning happened: saving your game every 40 turns, commenting on it and submitting it for discussion? Cool. I also note that they have completely broken down the teacher/student dynamic and, while Squire & Steinkuehler point out that there are still experts that are recogninized as knowledgeable and are well-respected, anyone can contribute and the teacher/student line is quite blurred. How does this impact our own concepts of authority and evaluation criteria?
Certainly, I have noticed how the resources I am using for this course are quite different from those I am using for others: blogs are a significant and totally acceptable format. In fact, because this is such an evolving topic, these formats perhaps function much better than more traditional publishing because they are more current and interactive, ideal for fostering discussion on emerging topics.
I agree whole-heartedly with Levine's statement about the importance of understanding these virtual worlds.Let's pay attention and make use of this new technology now while it is still young, rather wait until it is so ubiquitous that we are "forced" to start using it, and we have had no impact on how it developed.
Jenkins highlights arguments that Second Life is over-hyped, pointing out how that we are unlikely to ever "go completely virtual" as virtual world connections and socializations often echo real life ones. Really, when I sign up for Second Life, I will immediately hunt for people that I know in real life.
I am at my parents' place with a dial-up connection (I KNOW!!) today so am not even going to attempt to finish signing up for Second Life until later...look for me though!
My name will be Sherman Lundquist.
BTW - I'm not gonna lie: The Shifted Librarian article actually made me consider the purchase of a Playstation for a moment. Inconceivable! (said, of course, in the lispy manner of The Princess Bride's Sicilian. Hmmm...perhaps I'll model my avatar after him.)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Libraries OSN - Case Studies
I liked this one: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's MySpace...and this one: Glendale Public Library's MySpace!
Glendale has that uber-busy, Las Vegas-esque MySpace quality that I find overwhelming, but seems to be norm in MySpace world. However, both do well to provide useful info in the standard, fun, chatty format...Glendale has tons of friends, and Carnegie (while I couldn't find the friend count) quite a few comments. It seems like both have quite a bit of traffic...traffic from actual patrons? I thought so. I think they are get ways to market library services...especially considering the cost is free!
I also really liked the UWO one. It is a great example of how useful it is to share information across of group of people with common interests...this, to me, represents the best of OSN. You can glean information from people in similar situations despite not personally knowing anyone in that environment. I've seen students that are coming to FIMS this fall asking questions about the program and housing on the UWO-FIMS Facebook group. What a great way to get information!!!
Even if libraries find that actually being on networks and attempting to encourage patrons to interact with the libray via networks doesn't work for their user populations, perhaps they can best serve their patrons by helping them search for useful networks and provide links to them...I think this would be of value! Sort of a Reader's Advisory to blogs, groups, and networks:
PATRON: Like, I'm going to Western? In the fall? And I need to find a place to live? Do you have like a map or something?
SAVVY LIBRARIAN: Why yes, of course I have maps and some classified ads, but you could also check out this online group about housing around Western. It will give you the inside scoop about where is good to live...
Hmmm....
Glendale has that uber-busy, Las Vegas-esque MySpace quality that I find overwhelming, but seems to be norm in MySpace world. However, both do well to provide useful info in the standard, fun, chatty format...Glendale has tons of friends, and Carnegie (while I couldn't find the friend count) quite a few comments. It seems like both have quite a bit of traffic...traffic from actual patrons? I thought so. I think they are get ways to market library services...especially considering the cost is free!
I also really liked the UWO one. It is a great example of how useful it is to share information across of group of people with common interests...this, to me, represents the best of OSN. You can glean information from people in similar situations despite not personally knowing anyone in that environment. I've seen students that are coming to FIMS this fall asking questions about the program and housing on the UWO-FIMS Facebook group. What a great way to get information!!!
Even if libraries find that actually being on networks and attempting to encourage patrons to interact with the libray via networks doesn't work for their user populations, perhaps they can best serve their patrons by helping them search for useful networks and provide links to them...I think this would be of value! Sort of a Reader's Advisory to blogs, groups, and networks:
PATRON: Like, I'm going to Western? In the fall? And I need to find a place to live? Do you have like a map or something?
SAVVY LIBRARIAN: Why yes, of course I have maps and some classified ads, but you could also check out this online group about housing around Western. It will give you the inside scoop about where is good to live...
Hmmm....
Libraries & online social networks: Patrons are there 24/7
As with all of the other social software technology that we have examined, it seems important that libraries are not simply carried on to social networking sites because it's 'cool'. Farkas does well to point out the important difference between "being where our patrons are" and “being USEFUL to our patrons where they are.” If libraries aren't actively participating on and using the tool, then there is no point in being on it at all. I think it would ring false with actual users that are active on the tool: like that parent in high school that used to dress in teen clothes and try to use the "in" slang...
I see a true benefit to libraries actively using the space, and providing helpful links to their services. It is a great communication medium and there are certainly patrons that spend A LOT of time on these networks. I admit (with only the tiniest cringe) that I probably check my Facebook now as often as email. I don't think that I am alone in this trend. We jokingly call it "Crackbook", but it is absolutely addictive to have all of your friends' info at your fingertips...why not the library's?
If nothing else, as Lackie points out, it is valuable to see if there are any groups that have sprung up around your library: places to sleep, librarians that are mean, how to get around the library eating rule, etc. Who knows what is happening in your library and what you could learn about new services you could be offering or rules you maybe should be setting? Ignoring this altoghether as a communications medium seems foolish... I have one friend who signed up for Facebook after friends teased her for trying to set up a get-together over email, telling her that email was so old school! Perhaps we need a check-box on our patron profile that gives their preference for communication: phone, email, or Facebook?
Have you seen the Kings of MySpace video on YouTube? They talk about meeting a girl and how they don't bother with phone numbers any more: "Just get the 3 Dubs" (aka their www MySpace address). It's pretty funny and definitely gives some insight into MySpace culture and about how identities are constructed online...it was in my head for a week after I first heard it but a warning: content may be offensive to some! Look at how many hits this video has (1,875,124 views...and yes there is actually a MySpace profile for DaKingsofMySpace). Wow! As Abram asks, how can we learn from this type of popularity and membership and apply it to library marketing?
I also really liked Schmidt's idea about doing "Making your MySpace Awesome" workshops in the library. Why not show off our info/techie skills to teens and try to connect on that level? It may reinforce our image as a knowledgeable resource because we can show that we aren't just vaguely aware of the existence of MySpace, but actually know what we are talking about.
Aye, there's the rub: we need to know what we are talking about! I think this is an important enough reason to get on these social networking sites, even if we don't actually use them to market the library: we need to know about them because many of our patrons live there! If there is also an opportunity to provide some information about safe usage...all the better.
I do think, regardless of a librarian's decision to get involved in these online networks in a professional capacity, that it is very necessary to be knowledgeable about this new environment!
It won't go away if we ignore it.
I see a true benefit to libraries actively using the space, and providing helpful links to their services. It is a great communication medium and there are certainly patrons that spend A LOT of time on these networks. I admit (with only the tiniest cringe) that I probably check my Facebook now as often as email. I don't think that I am alone in this trend. We jokingly call it "Crackbook", but it is absolutely addictive to have all of your friends' info at your fingertips...why not the library's?
If nothing else, as Lackie points out, it is valuable to see if there are any groups that have sprung up around your library: places to sleep, librarians that are mean, how to get around the library eating rule, etc. Who knows what is happening in your library and what you could learn about new services you could be offering or rules you maybe should be setting? Ignoring this altoghether as a communications medium seems foolish... I have one friend who signed up for Facebook after friends teased her for trying to set up a get-together over email, telling her that email was so old school! Perhaps we need a check-box on our patron profile that gives their preference for communication: phone, email, or Facebook?
Have you seen the Kings of MySpace video on YouTube? They talk about meeting a girl and how they don't bother with phone numbers any more: "Just get the 3 Dubs" (aka their www MySpace address). It's pretty funny and definitely gives some insight into MySpace culture and about how identities are constructed online...it was in my head for a week after I first heard it but a warning: content may be offensive to some! Look at how many hits this video has (1,875,124 views...and yes there is actually a MySpace profile for DaKingsofMySpace). Wow! As Abram asks, how can we learn from this type of popularity and membership and apply it to library marketing?
I also really liked Schmidt's idea about doing "Making your MySpace Awesome" workshops in the library. Why not show off our info/techie skills to teens and try to connect on that level? It may reinforce our image as a knowledgeable resource because we can show that we aren't just vaguely aware of the existence of MySpace, but actually know what we are talking about.
Aye, there's the rub: we need to know what we are talking about! I think this is an important enough reason to get on these social networking sites, even if we don't actually use them to market the library: we need to know about them because many of our patrons live there! If there is also an opportunity to provide some information about safe usage...all the better.
I do think, regardless of a librarian's decision to get involved in these online networks in a professional capacity, that it is very necessary to be knowledgeable about this new environment!
It won't go away if we ignore it.
Friday, July 13, 2007
MySpace: Tom is my only friend! :(
Well...I plunged into the world of MySpace today. I have been a Facebook user (yes "user", because it did feel like an addiction at first!) for a couple of months now and found it really user-friendly and easy to get started. I had no problems finding people I knew and "friending" them. In fact, I am in awe of how many people I know are on Facebook and how easy it is to find them!
MySpace? No one. Tom (the creator, who is automatically your friend) is my ONLY friend. I am officially a MySpace loser. *Sigh.*
Perhaps it's because less people seem to be using their full names? Perhaps it's because my network of friends has ended up on Facebook because of invites from people already on there (that's how I ended up joining)? Or perhaps my entire network of friends just fits the educated, middle-class Facebook stereotype, as discussed in a recent Globe and Mail article? Am I too old and "mainstream" to be on MySpace? Their description of MySpace as Las Vegas and Facebook as Ikea doesn't seem completely crazy...Facebook does feel more organized, less blazing colour...
So, if you are on MySpace, be my friend: www.myspace.com/jmcint6
Tom is great and all, but....
MySpace? No one. Tom (the creator, who is automatically your friend) is my ONLY friend. I am officially a MySpace loser. *Sigh.*
Perhaps it's because less people seem to be using their full names? Perhaps it's because my network of friends has ended up on Facebook because of invites from people already on there (that's how I ended up joining)? Or perhaps my entire network of friends just fits the educated, middle-class Facebook stereotype, as discussed in a recent Globe and Mail article? Am I too old and "mainstream" to be on MySpace? Their description of MySpace as Las Vegas and Facebook as Ikea doesn't seem completely crazy...Facebook does feel more organized, less blazing colour...
So, if you are on MySpace, be my friend: www.myspace.com/jmcint6
Tom is great and all, but....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)