The synchronicity of this tool, Del.icio.us and an expressed need in a work meeting today is pretty amazing. I was in a meeting with people who will all be representing my library organization at a two-day conference. We are grouped in pairs, and each pair takes a three hour shift, and we'll need to be able to access several links to demonstrate tools to booth visitors. We'll be using one shared computer, and we will each log on to this computer. Since we won't be on out own computers, we won't have our bookmarks.
Caveat - I need a social networking tool which functions behind my company's firewall. And I just realized that my internal library web page has a front page which I can customize with my favorite tools - like a personal bookmark list within our library website. Is this some similar social bookmarking tool (without the ability to make my own labels)?
Enter Del.icio.us, or another bookmarking tool (I want to try citeulike, which seems like it may be more academic. And understanding how a tool can be more academic, may another tool be more political, or more humorous? Or more flirty? Or since the tool is used by so many, those differences are mediated by following the tags, and the taggers that appeal to me?)
Back to this social bookmarking tool, I am not currently on my own computer, so I don't want to add any links now, but I do want to try this soon.
Showing posts with label corporate library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corporate library. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Thing 10 - Wikis
This focus on Wikis was fun and informative. The video was particularly well done. It demonstrated quite well how a wiki can be a great tool compared to email when a group of people is trying to accomplish something - like organizing a camping trip.
One of my colleagues set up a wiki for my work group, and it was fun to explore the tool, but we had very few contributions. A few people added notes after attending a conference or meeting, but no one else ever commented or edited (that I knew of).
It was informative to review some wikis used in libraries. In particular, it is amazing to see how effective it can be for organizing reviews of books. A real and collaborative 'readers advisory'.
On the other hand, one of the other wikis is now limited to people who are members, as there had been vandalism to the site. The problem with a resource available to anonymous people.
I took a look at the library bloggers wiki, which looks like someplace I could stand to spend a lot more time. There's even a section for 'special' libraries. Publicly funded, of course, none obviously corporate.
I only looked closely at one, the 'Royal College of Midwives' library, and they posted their last blog in February 2008: The RCM Library is closing on February 16th 2008. The stock is being put into storage and the library staff have been declared redundant. There will therefore be no more entries in this blog. It will be retained on Blogger, however, for reference.
Such a sad thing, and memorialized here, on a blog from Minnesota.
Which brings me back to my library organization's defunct wiki (last I looked). We probably lacked a reason to go to the wiki, and had no incentive to contribute. I heard people say that they are worried about writing or complaining - which they seem to do in every workplace. People need some sort of incentive. The readers wikis were a great example. . .
Maybe a place to go for fun? The joke of the day? Of course, humour can be a fine line, with sharp teeth if you slip.
One of my colleagues set up a wiki for my work group, and it was fun to explore the tool, but we had very few contributions. A few people added notes after attending a conference or meeting, but no one else ever commented or edited (that I knew of).
It was informative to review some wikis used in libraries. In particular, it is amazing to see how effective it can be for organizing reviews of books. A real and collaborative 'readers advisory'.
On the other hand, one of the other wikis is now limited to people who are members, as there had been vandalism to the site. The problem with a resource available to anonymous people.
I took a look at the library bloggers wiki, which looks like someplace I could stand to spend a lot more time. There's even a section for 'special' libraries. Publicly funded, of course, none obviously corporate.
I only looked closely at one, the 'Royal College of Midwives' library, and they posted their last blog in February 2008: The RCM Library is closing on February 16th 2008. The stock is being put into storage and the library staff have been declared redundant. There will therefore be no more entries in this blog. It will be retained on Blogger, however, for reference.
Such a sad thing, and memorialized here, on a blog from Minnesota.
Which brings me back to my library organization's defunct wiki (last I looked). We probably lacked a reason to go to the wiki, and had no incentive to contribute. I heard people say that they are worried about writing or complaining - which they seem to do in every workplace. People need some sort of incentive. The readers wikis were a great example. . .
Maybe a place to go for fun? The joke of the day? Of course, humour can be a fine line, with sharp teeth if you slip.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Thing 8 - Share your creations
Well, my first thought is that when I was a newly minted librarian in this organization, I was taught to always bring backup transparencies whenever I had to make a presentation. We had PowerPoint slides which I'd send in the network, or have loaded on the hard drive of the department laptop we'd use ( I couldn't believe that transparencies were used, but every conference room had an overhead projector in the corner, as a backup). Recently, the backup of choice has been a memory stick. But to load my set of slides onto the Internet - quite a concept (if I can trust the network connections).
I'd love to set up a database on books I've read, for my personal use. From a professional perspective, it would be nice to have a web-based resource available for comments on books or journals that my library is acquiring (print and/or online). People within our system could comment on titles they've read or ordered? Or, I'm looking for feedback on a resource - maybe I could sent a note or link to my user group that they could share thoughts? A blog, even?? (duh!)
Well, I've settled on a Flikr badge to meet the requirements of this 'thing', but my interest is sparked on how to help my clients communicate on a resource that I monitor. Kind of a no-brainer, but that's why I'm here . . .
I'd love to set up a database on books I've read, for my personal use. From a professional perspective, it would be nice to have a web-based resource available for comments on books or journals that my library is acquiring (print and/or online). People within our system could comment on titles they've read or ordered? Or, I'm looking for feedback on a resource - maybe I could sent a note or link to my user group that they could share thoughts? A blog, even?? (duh!)
Well, I've settled on a Flikr badge to meet the requirements of this 'thing', but my interest is sparked on how to help my clients communicate on a resource that I monitor. Kind of a no-brainer, but that's why I'm here . . .
| www.flickr.com |
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thing 4.2 Flickr: Sunset fishing
I guess I have now been successful in adding this photo from Flickr to my blog. It's a beautiful photo taken in Vietnam near Hoi An. Photographer is Kalabird.
I should be learning that Flickr is a really cool tool, which I guess I am, but I'm more amazed by the fact that I have now somehow linked my new Flickr account to this blog. I then posted from within Flickr and then the posting appeared here on my Blogger 23 things blog. These accounts are now all linked together, and I'm leaving a mile-wide trail behind me.
If I ever set up a personal blog, with my own photos, it will be really easy to send my own photos to the blog (I couldn't send photos of my work library, as in my corporate world, I'm not allowed to take photos in my library. So that option is not the right thing to do, but now I see how I could do it. Learning the capabilities by trial and error. . . .
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thing 3 - RSS Feeds
RSS feeds, I've been using for years, already. I am an avid subscriber to NPR (and WPR) podcasts, which I download onto my MP3 player (started with an iPod shuffle, but it put any and all music before my podcasts, so I downgraded to a cheap MP3 player so now I catch up on my favorite radio shows while at the gym, gardening, walking the dog [these must be my hobbies]).
At one point, I even subscribed to some podcasts from some medical journals, thinking that there may be some work-related application. But the casts were dull as mud, and I tired of the project.
As for web pages I check regularly, I do the news, but hardly want to see every update to that page. It would be nice to discover some interesting blogs to check regularly, something to allow me to feel tuned in and connected to those things that are important to me. But that takes time. Right now, I only need to develop the skills to use RSS feeds, and to get links to interesting material onto my blog.
So, what to subscribe to? Oh how I wish I had all day. And that I wanted to include ALL of my interests on my reader. I decided to cut to the most practical and ideally somehow related to some aspect of my profession - I scanned quite a few other 23 things participants’ blogs and looked at the RSS feeds they subscribed to. Or I subscribed to some 23 things participant blogs that I found to be active and interesting. And I subscribed to the one person I know with a blog on the system (of course, her blog is active and interesting).
This will be an ongoing project, as I take these 23 things, and more broadly, the 2.0 skills that I learn into my real life.
At one point, I even subscribed to some podcasts from some medical journals, thinking that there may be some work-related application. But the casts were dull as mud, and I tired of the project.
As for web pages I check regularly, I do the news, but hardly want to see every update to that page. It would be nice to discover some interesting blogs to check regularly, something to allow me to feel tuned in and connected to those things that are important to me. But that takes time. Right now, I only need to develop the skills to use RSS feeds, and to get links to interesting material onto my blog.
So, what to subscribe to? Oh how I wish I had all day. And that I wanted to include ALL of my interests on my reader. I decided to cut to the most practical and ideally somehow related to some aspect of my profession - I scanned quite a few other 23 things participants’ blogs and looked at the RSS feeds they subscribed to. Or I subscribed to some 23 things participant blogs that I found to be active and interesting. And I subscribed to the one person I know with a blog on the system (of course, her blog is active and interesting).
This will be an ongoing project, as I take these 23 things, and more broadly, the 2.0 skills that I learn into my real life.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thing 2 - Library 2.0
lToday one of my colleagues Chris made a presentation to my department on the subject of Library 2.0. I have been reading and thinking about this subject (and trying to find the time to read more - but that's another posting), but not putting anything into print. Instead of trying to do more research, I think I'll summarize my colleague, who has taught a course to librarians on this subject. Then I can move on to the many tools that we will be covering, and that, really, is why I'm here.
Chris started with one major point - that Library 2.0 is all about interaction and collaboration. And that all of us are probably already using Library 2.0 tools, without even knowing it. We have shared databases that we use together, interactive meeting software, chat tools that we use for quick messages among colleagues. These tools are regular tools, things we use daily, and not some great scary unknown.
With these palliative thoughts in mind, Chris moved on to other tools. The things we may have only heard about. She gave us a quick tour of Google docs, the tool she has used to build the presentation slides she was using. This tool, hosted 'out on the web', can be used to collaborate on documents with others, anywhere on line - which brought up the caveat - not behind a firewall - an issue to keep in mind in the corporate environment. We quickly stepped into the concept of blogs, reading them, organizing them, keeping up with them using RSS feeds. Lots of people in my group read blogs regularly, but only a few of us (two) have a blog ( I was so proud to raise my hand). Chris quickly built a blog, right before our eyes, using Blogger! Her point - easy and accessible to all of us.
Chris quickly stepped through some other cool tools - flicker, wikis, wikipedia, our in-house wiki tool Maven, and then into the social networking sites. She discussed Facebook briefly, then showed us the 'professional' networking tool, LinkedIn. With fine finesse, she showed us the LinkedIn page of our highly networked boss. Oohs filled the room.
So, Library 2.0 is clearly already here - in my own back yard. But I'm even more inspired by all those tools that I haven't used that I want to dip my toes into. I have been motivated to learn them, and this 23 things on a stick is a structured opportunity for me to play with them. Onwards.
And, thanks Chris!
Addendum -
The course description for Chris' course earlier this summer:
Library 2.0 and Social Networking
This course will examine the advent of social networking tools, the creation of online collaboration and communities via those tools and their adoption by libraries as well as the rise of Library 2.0 thinking, a service philosophy born out of discussions of Web 2.0 and participatory library services. Students will experience an immersive learning environment via blogs, wikis, IM and social networking sites. We will discuss the definitions of Library 2.0, examine the tools and examine what this shift means for libraries in the 21st Century.
Chris started with one major point - that Library 2.0 is all about interaction and collaboration. And that all of us are probably already using Library 2.0 tools, without even knowing it. We have shared databases that we use together, interactive meeting software, chat tools that we use for quick messages among colleagues. These tools are regular tools, things we use daily, and not some great scary unknown.
With these palliative thoughts in mind, Chris moved on to other tools. The things we may have only heard about. She gave us a quick tour of Google docs, the tool she has used to build the presentation slides she was using. This tool, hosted 'out on the web', can be used to collaborate on documents with others, anywhere on line - which brought up the caveat - not behind a firewall - an issue to keep in mind in the corporate environment. We quickly stepped into the concept of blogs, reading them, organizing them, keeping up with them using RSS feeds. Lots of people in my group read blogs regularly, but only a few of us (two) have a blog ( I was so proud to raise my hand). Chris quickly built a blog, right before our eyes, using Blogger! Her point - easy and accessible to all of us.
Chris quickly stepped through some other cool tools - flicker, wikis, wikipedia, our in-house wiki tool Maven, and then into the social networking sites. She discussed Facebook briefly, then showed us the 'professional' networking tool, LinkedIn. With fine finesse, she showed us the LinkedIn page of our highly networked boss. Oohs filled the room.
So, Library 2.0 is clearly already here - in my own back yard. But I'm even more inspired by all those tools that I haven't used that I want to dip my toes into. I have been motivated to learn them, and this 23 things on a stick is a structured opportunity for me to play with them. Onwards.
And, thanks Chris!
Addendum -
The course description for Chris' course earlier this summer:
Library 2.0 and Social Networking
This course will examine the advent of social networking tools, the creation of online collaboration and communities via those tools and their adoption by libraries as well as the rise of Library 2.0 thinking, a service philosophy born out of discussions of Web 2.0 and participatory library services. Students will experience an immersive learning environment via blogs, wikis, IM and social networking sites. We will discuss the definitions of Library 2.0, examine the tools and examine what this shift means for libraries in the 21st Century.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thing 1.5 - the confluence of free time and functioning technology
Last week, I had been thinkging about Thing 2 - Library 2.0. Lots of fresh ideas, I only needed to sit down and see what would float to the top of my conscousness. Except - my lawn HAD to be mowed. I ran home during my 'free' hour, and mowed the lawn. It was so happy for the attention.
Second opportunity, I sat down in my favorite coffee shop spot, and tried to connect. And tried to connect. I hadn't noticed in previous visits the 'name' of the particluar network I had been using. I just connected right up. But this time, i jiggled all my settings, went through all my options and properties. After 30 minutes, I asked the other laptop user in the room, and she told me the system is down. No known fix (and even worse, I hadn't brought anything else to read!!!).
So, after dinking again this time, I finally am in, but don't have those golden words at the tip of my fingers. Just to say that I was searching some concept at work last week, looking for a graphic or promotional document that would explain a product to one of my clients, and I found, in a basic google search a posting from the SLA blog last month (actually, this month, for a few more hours). There was my answer, from a librarian blog, and I wasn't even looking for that!
It seems that Library2.0 may already be here, if I am able to find it without even looking. More next time on Library 2.0 specifically.
Second opportunity, I sat down in my favorite coffee shop spot, and tried to connect. And tried to connect. I hadn't noticed in previous visits the 'name' of the particluar network I had been using. I just connected right up. But this time, i jiggled all my settings, went through all my options and properties. After 30 minutes, I asked the other laptop user in the room, and she told me the system is down. No known fix (and even worse, I hadn't brought anything else to read!!!).
So, after dinking again this time, I finally am in, but don't have those golden words at the tip of my fingers. Just to say that I was searching some concept at work last week, looking for a graphic or promotional document that would explain a product to one of my clients, and I found, in a basic google search a posting from the SLA blog last month (actually, this month, for a few more hours). There was my answer, from a librarian blog, and I wasn't even looking for that!
It seems that Library2.0 may already be here, if I am able to find it without even looking. More next time on Library 2.0 specifically.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Thing #1 Set up my Blog
I have two free hours each week near a coffee shop with free WiFi while my son does his Tae Kwan Do, so two hours a week should be enough to make a dent in this project.
I actually set up my blog with the last posting, but now I'm taking a few minutes to think about the whole thing. So, I'll title this posting as 'Thing #1'.
Setting up my blog for the first time - an exhilarating process - I had a tight schedule, and was trying to get the Blog, the Avitar, and all the details set up, and take careful notes so I would be able to get back in. And then find the time to actually post.
In the mean time, I have taken a few minutes to review some other postings, especially from the first session of '23 things', and it looks like quite a few people managed the exhilaration of Thing 1, but never made it back in.
Also, while looking at other blogs, I see some academic librarians, quite a few public librarians, but I've only noticed one (from the previous session) who were from a corporate library. I'm quite curious how web 2.0 (library 2.0) can/will fit into the corporate library environment (not to anticipate my thoughts about thing #2) .
My workplace has made some stabs at wikis and blogs for different workgroups and corporate-wide, so in a sense people all around me are trying to see how these new technologies will fit into our futures as individuals and organizations, and I'm hoping to use this experience to get my mind around these opportunities. The technologies are here (even in the corporation), but how can we apply them? Stay tuned!
I actually set up my blog with the last posting, but now I'm taking a few minutes to think about the whole thing. So, I'll title this posting as 'Thing #1'.
Setting up my blog for the first time - an exhilarating process - I had a tight schedule, and was trying to get the Blog, the Avitar, and all the details set up, and take careful notes so I would be able to get back in. And then find the time to actually post.
In the mean time, I have taken a few minutes to review some other postings, especially from the first session of '23 things', and it looks like quite a few people managed the exhilaration of Thing 1, but never made it back in.
Also, while looking at other blogs, I see some academic librarians, quite a few public librarians, but I've only noticed one (from the previous session) who were from a corporate library. I'm quite curious how web 2.0 (library 2.0) can/will fit into the corporate library environment (not to anticipate my thoughts about thing #2) .
My workplace has made some stabs at wikis and blogs for different workgroups and corporate-wide, so in a sense people all around me are trying to see how these new technologies will fit into our futures as individuals and organizations, and I'm hoping to use this experience to get my mind around these opportunities. The technologies are here (even in the corporation), but how can we apply them? Stay tuned!
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