L&P 8: Bloglines

Check it out to see my bloglines account:

http://www.bloglines.com/public/Aeolussurf

L&P 6: Flickr Mashups

Here's a link to a card.

Clearly I should have sued a photo that wouldn't pixelate so much. :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeolussurf1/2867321899/

L&P # 5: Flickr

Please visit this link to see some Flickr work:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeolussurf1/

Sorry for the brief posting!

L&P 23: The End (or is it the beginning?)

Learn & Play was a wonderful initiative; big props to all who organized it and fostered participation. I was please with how many of the items I had already tried or even used on a semi-regular basis (over half of them). I was dismayed at how little time I have to keep up with any of the trends. I have a Facebook page, for instance, that languishes, neglected. I had not logged into Fickr for over a year before this initiative made me go back--it wasn't easy to remember my account name and password. :-) I don't even answer gmail anymore. No doubt it is a matter of priorities: if I have an afternoon and the wind is blowing, however, there's no question to me that a day windsurfing is more important than a day web surfing, no matter how many social networking sites call. For me, this initiative was best for making me take the time to discover or re-discover. That said, I suspect I won't blog any more, now that the initiative is over. Why, when nobody reads what I write and my uninspired and hasty words merely sit as bits on some server somewhere? If I'm going to keep a private diary, it will remain private and is not (as in Wilde's joke) intended for publication.

Would I do another L&P initiative? Absolutely! It would make me find time to explore. Please don't do Twitter again. It makes me feel guilty for not taking time to follow it but without a portable device I simply don't have the time. The biggest complaint I've heard from staff, speaking of time, is that they simply don't have the time to keep up, given our branch's workload. We told them they could, encouraged them to, even alloted time in the schedule, but most felt a greater obligation to public service and made sure branch work was done. Commendable but not ideal for learning. Maybe it would be different had we been fully staffed.

Farewell, dear non-readers.

L@P # 22: MOLDI

I've been using MOLDI for some time and encouraging my college students to use it as well; a decent digital reading makes some classic texts, such as Dickens' Hard Times, more accessible for many undergrads for whom literature is not a passion.

It's very exciting that MOLDI will support IPODs now.

Digital downloads are the future of media; it will not be too long, I suspect, before the library has no discs and is offering several types of download, from music to movies on demand. User behavior will drive this trend, not technology. Several different vendors are already offering library databases to support this trend, some of which offer holdings as or more interesting than what we find on MOLDI. I hope that CML can trial and perhaps subscribe to some of them. So far, film offerings are a bit scanty but we can expect to see that change.

The ability to "check out" digital offerings and have them automatically "return" will offer customers the same ability to enjoy content that we now have with check out of physical items; the library can remain a source of enjoyment and instruction for those who wish to enjoy without the necessity of purchasing, enhancing public literacy and knowledge.

L&P@CML: Podcasts

Many libraries are already podcasting. I like the Central Library (LA) podcast, which casts the content of programs at the library; the cast about the Dalai Lama was very interesting to hear. Other libraries seem to be casting about how to use their databases or the different services they offer. I was a bit dismayed at how infrequently many of the podcasts seem to occur. To the extent that podcasts primarily offer audio, they might be losing the war for survival to streaming video: for subjects that can be treated in a brief period of time (say 10 minutes), I suspect they may be less attractive than videos. Their ability to replay lengthy content (1 hour plus for the Dalai Lama program) and to save to portable listening devices in MP3 format may make them attractive for longer programs. CML might well be able to cast programs of interest. Perhaps we could feature a regular reader's advisory cast touting some hot new picks in fiction, non-fiction, children's, etc., on a monthly basis.

L&P@CML: YouTube

Hey, what's not to like about YouTube? Sure there's a lot of junk but there are also many gems. The site has contributed to making the web a more democratic (small "d") medium, allowing people with a camera and relatively little means to air their views. I go to the site to watch windsurfing videos; since we don't live in a high wind area, it is one of the few ways I can easily see the people good at the sport (unlike my own earnest but inept efforts) in motion. Librarians have already begun to exploit the medium, of course, creating their own generally low quality but fun and tongue-in-cheek content. One way we might be able to quickly use the site is to take advantage of the fact that publishers and authors are creating videos about BOOKS; they are advertisements, of course, but do provide information about the titles in a fun way. We could have a new book page and link to content, including YouTube vids, in addition to the ubiquitous Amazon.

Here a YouTube favorite, from Weird Al himself. Many of you have probably already seen it. It inspired me to become a librarian:

L&P@CML: Creative Commons

I've known about Creative Commons for some time and taught about this trend and its use. As libraries, and particularly academic libraries, become increasingly involved with open access publishing and digital repositories, every librarian should learn about creative commons copyright and how it can help a library guarantee access to information, even after that information is picked up by a publisher (who increasingly are having to negotiate in some settings where authors have Creative Commons rights). It is very cool to see a sight that provides tools to help promote CC. If you haven't checked it out yet, take a look: http://creativecommons.org/ . Informative, with useful news and services--very cool and important for libraries and librarians to know!

L&P@CML: LuLu

Lulu is a site that allows would-be Grishams and Evanovichs self-publishing services. Basically, it is vanity press writ (posted?) large. All the next Shakespeare has to do is write the masterwork. Through Lulu, he/she can then choose a format, size, etc. Lulu offers more advanced services, such as having a designer create a cover for the book, perhaps enhancing sales.

One can also upload files to create music CDs or visual DVDs.

Lulu adds a marketing feature, so that one can put one's materials up for sale.

Library use? Well, a library could use Lulu as an option for printing/selling an annual report or a library history. I think it more likely that this will be a source from which we are asked to purchase items. Without any reviews other than user comments, I'm not sure how authoritative/reliable/high quality the materials here will be. It represents an interesting dilemma, doesn't it: we may wish to foster web/library 2.0 content, but how much will we trust such content in guiding purchases with tax payer $. Libraries with local history/author collections are perhaps likely to benefit from having another source where such materials could be obtained.

L&P@CML: Web-based Apps

Long time (well, since fall of 2006, a whopping two years) user of web-based apps. In the past, I've advocated dumping Microsoft Office, with its licensing fees per computer, and advocated teaching our customers about web-based apps, touting the freedom from costs and licenses and from the desk-top. I've had some time to re-think this position, and suspect that too many people find MS Office too familiar and too necessary for work purposes to dump. Still, I find the web-based apps easy to use and convenient to access; they free one from the need for a flashdrive in many instances. The word processing and spread sheets are as easy and pretty much as powerful as MS Office. I enjoy using them.

Leanr & Play @ CML: Wikis 2

It's a treat to see what some of my fellow employees enjoy as a favorite book, vacation spot, leisure activity, sport, etc. I look forward to the day when CML has a more extensive Wiki--it could, properly tagged, make for an excellent reader's advisory tool. Lots of good readers submitting!

L&P@CML: Wikis. Our Branch Wiki Rocks!

Our Branch Wiki, Shamrock, is a valuable tool for us. We use it for many purposes: we post policies and procedures, especially for using anything electronic at CML, and it makes a good one stop place to check on how we are supposed to be doing things, combining content from other sources with our particular take or interpretation.. We post schedules, so that staff can log in, even remotely, and see when they are supposed to be working or how some day might look for asking for PTO. Perhaps most importantly, we use it for reader's advisory. The whole branch can (and does) post reviews of their reading; we are developing a base of reviews that staff find helpful when making suggestions to our customers. W eall look forward to the day when CML has a larger scale Wiki, but our branch Wiki is a good start for learning and for providing content that we can use.

Work&Play@CML: Web/Library 2.0, or Who's using Who?

Allowing users to create and post content in meaningful ways for the purpose of enhancing information and creating a digital community (a brief and hardly profound definition of Library 2.0) is likely to be a substantial challenge for public libraries. It will offer rewards but we will have to overcome some serious obstacles, including the inability to compete with other Web 2.0 entities due to lack of funding, user base, and "cool factor." How will libraries become the go-to place for creating content? Are we going to create a community of users with librarians only? Seems unlikley. Even web 2.0 sounds attractive, however, in comparison to some futurist scenerios, such as Library 4.0. By principle, we seek accurate, authoritative sources; in a time when studies do indicate that, say, Wikipedia is less accurate than some traditional library sources (details provided upon request), we might well wonder about the wisdom of fostering access to 2.0 content, much less trying to create our own. Surely this is especially so if providing content means joining with other "private partners" (a term from Dr. Wendy Schultz). Our strength, other than knowledge (a strength surely not restricted to libraries), has long been the ability to combine the resources of the public in a responsible way to offer sources that few individuals can afford individually and to promote an ethic of using those sources with balance and accuracy. What happens to our ethics if we need private partners to provide Schultz's virtual "knowledge spa"? What happens when one of those private partners comes forward to demand we tacitly approve their content, even if it happens to be erroneous, or else they turn off the tap? And in a time when public discourse seems to be increasingly venomous, how much of a spa will Library 4.0 be in any case? That we need to adjust our behaviors and adapt, I do not doubt. But let's think about how we do so and be guided by the values and ethics of our enterprise. If something like Library 4.o requires giving up our profession, is it worth it?

L&P@CML: del.icio.us

I've been onboard with del.icio.us for a while now. I primarily find it useful to maintain a list of bookmarks, but it is also great for discovering bookmarked sites (that I wouldn't perhaps otherwise have know about) on a variety of topics. Research into how people tag ("folksonomies") are continuing; in the library realm, tagging seems to offer some possibilities in providing natural language access (rather than LSCH) to sources in catalogs that have overlays. A useful site!

L&P@CML: Twitter

Tweet, tweet!

At least one academic library (or so I have seen reported in the liteature) has begun to use Twitter with students, tweeting about new item arrivals and library hours and library closures due to weather (generally snow emergencies in their case--they used it for this purpose this past year).

It seems a good way to make the library visible, but they have a more captive audience than do we in the public library realm.

If we were to learn that enough customers were following our tweets, it could be a good way to market the collection ("New Janet Evanovich "Tortuous 24" arrived today--Get it at the Library!") or to advise about hours/closures, etc.

Personally, I wouldn't use Twitter, at least now. I'm strained enough to have time to do everything I need to do without taking an extra minute on top of it to tweet what I'm doing. I might someday set up a cell phone to receive tweets from others, if they wanted me to knwo what they were doing in this way.

What am I doing? I typing a tweet about how I'm using Twitter to type a tweet.

L&P@CML: Library Thing

I've known about LibraryThing for years and have visited it with the reference classes I teach, but I've never set up an account before. Maybe I'm not a big enough library geek (though how much bigger a geek could one ask for than someone who works in a library and teaches about librarianship too?) to want a catalog of my books--I hardly have time to do what is much more important, namely read them. At Dublin Branch, many of the librarians/LAs use LibraryThing to track what they have read to provide good reads for Reader's Advisory purposes. This is an excellent practical use for the site. I'm encouraging people to put reviews on our branch wiki as well to provide a pool of RA choices in one place, however, rather than having to know everyone's LibraryThing URL.

It's interesting that LibraryThing is entering into partnerships to be part of LibraryLand's various catalog overlays.

Here's my LibraryThing link, such as it is:

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

Michael

"A catalog is good, but knowledge is better."

L&P@CML Image Generators

Being what McLuhan called "print oriented," I've had more fun with word generators. And I like the post-modern joy of a blog creator for weary bloggers. Try it here: http://www.aussiebloggers.com.au/blogpost.html

Soon you to can have results like the following without having to think at all; you'll finally be able to satisfy that nagging need to blog while still having time for a life.

"Abject apologies I just returned from my daily swim on the beautiful Fijian beach and realised I have not updated this since Paris Hilton was in jail... You would not believe I spend all my time in front of a computer. Apologies to my regular readers! Even the little blue ones!.

I am absolutely consumed with only your readership as life preserver, choosing my retirement village, just generally being of great concern to the secret service, my day is dreadfully busy from the first cockadoodledoo from the rooster to I run out of alcohol. I am putting money aside so I can run away. it will be fun fun fun till they take my TBird away.

I won't promise anything to you but that when the weather turns bad, I will blog more often. No, really! This is for my ever faithful, devoted public."

No good? Well, at least it was quick and easy and fun.

Signed (it being International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and having used a pirate name generator),

Iron Black Mike

L&P@CML Finding Feeds

Blogline's search tool works easily to find popular feeds. Topix.net and Technorati weren't much use, at least to me, because they kept finding search terms as key words in posts that were unrelated to my topic rather than finding feeds that were on the subject of interest. Sindicat8.com didn't open at all despite several tries--must be popular. Maybe they ought to look into the bandwidth situation. The above feed finder's breakdowns of feed by directory weren't much use--the directories weren't detailed enough to help me.

Okay, time for true confessions.

I found better information on blogs/feeds on SUBJECTS faster with a Google Search than any of the above (they were good for showing me popular blogs on general or broad areas of interest). And why use Bloglines at all when one can simply use the browser Reader feature to get the same information faster and easier? I found I could subscribe to reads much more quickly with the reader than with Bloglines. I can get the information without logging to any sites. With 100 million (or however many bloggers there are) out there, making the likelihood of anyone I don't know caring about my feed list EXTREMELY small, does the social networking aspect provided by Bloglines make it worth the extra time to sign up and to log in? I want my feed information now and fast and with as little fuss as possible, and browser readers give it to me more efficiently than Bloglines.

It was fun to investigate. I do like the ability to get to my feeds from any computer buy logging into bloglines, for tiems I might not have a laptop with me.

Michael

L&P@CML: LISNews

Many of you probably already know this site; however, if you don't, it's yet another fun way to keep up with World Wide Library and Information Science News. You'll find postings on everything from book reviews to headlines that concern us all in the profession. LIS News Feeds are available. Keeping up with the news can be daunting: there's just too many ways to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. This site helps one manage.

LearnNPlay at CML--Dublin's Children's Area

These are photos of Dublin's Children's Area--of our two showcases, O'Reilly the Bookworm and a window that looks out upon a garden. Notice, however, how bland everything else is. :-) We are re-modleing the entire Children's area, however, so stay tuned for future pix that will show what we've done--with BIG WOW Factor added!