I'm super excited about the new Drupal Lint. I think it will be much easier to keep documents up to date, especially on our department page. I'd love to see some sort of blog/message board/forum for clerks to discuss policies, procedures, and any questions they might have. From what I've seen of the new Drupalified Lint I like how much easier the navigation is compared to the old LInt. I hope to see a feature where comments posted on LInt blogs are emailed to the original poster so they can respond.
I really liked how the Ann Arbor District Library used Drupal for their public website. They have also made really good use of other Library 2.0 technologies like Facebook, Twitter, and, especially, Flickr. I'm also super impressed by their "On Demand" video collection. They have video footage of library programs and events available to watch online. I'd love to see CATS do something like this for the MCPL website.
The articles about Drupal were interesting but pretty basic and geared more towards the people who do the actual implementation of the website. The article from WebDesignerDepot was the best, the other two seemed to be sponsered by specific CMS companies.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thing 17, Other Social Networks
Ning seems interesting. It's cool that it's aimed more for adults but so far I don't think it has gotten much public attention. I'm definitely pro social networking, I lurve flickr, twitter, last.fm and facebook. I like how Ning consolidates recent user blog posts but this is only really useful if there is real, valuable content. For example some of the blog posts listed at the Library 2.0 Ning page are relevant and interesting (example), but there are also links to this and this. Probably just librarians trying out Ning for their 23 things! And while there are a lot of 'groups' associated with the Library 2.0 page, most of them haven't had much activity in a while. The Teacher/Librarian Ning on the other hand seems really active.
I've used Webjunction for a few online course but haven't found it to be super engaging. It's functional, but kind of cold. It doesn't seem to be a very participatory environment. But maybe I just didn't look hard enough. Seems like more of a reference type of site, where you go when you're looking for a specific kind of information.
The time article asks if there is a market for smaller, niche, social networking sites. And I think there is, but they need a really loyal and participatory base to be successful first. Only time will tell if these networks can develop an active base. I think a big element to it is a straightforward and easy to use design. I was a little skeptical of twitter at first but it's so easy to use, and as I was learning so was the rest of the world. So by the time I was hooked, so was everyone else! Maybe though, social network sites geared towards adults are a little slower to catch on. Facebook and twitter really caught the interest of a younger, tech-savvy audience then gained more adult users as they got more attention.
I've used Webjunction for a few online course but haven't found it to be super engaging. It's functional, but kind of cold. It doesn't seem to be a very participatory environment. But maybe I just didn't look hard enough. Seems like more of a reference type of site, where you go when you're looking for a specific kind of information.
The time article asks if there is a market for smaller, niche, social networking sites. And I think there is, but they need a really loyal and participatory base to be successful first. Only time will tell if these networks can develop an active base. I think a big element to it is a straightforward and easy to use design. I was a little skeptical of twitter at first but it's so easy to use, and as I was learning so was the rest of the world. So by the time I was hooked, so was everyone else! Maybe though, social network sites geared towards adults are a little slower to catch on. Facebook and twitter really caught the interest of a younger, tech-savvy audience then gained more adult users as they got more attention.
Thing 16 : Facebook/Myspace
I hate Myspace. I hate how ugly and unorganized it is. I hate how music starts playing automatically every time I open a new page. I hate how 50% of the time my browser crashes because Myspace requires too much memory. I went to the Denver Public Library Myspace and was not particularly impressed. It looks like most of the recent comments are from authors and publishers just looking for promotion. I'm sure that's not what the Denver Library intended originally, but that's what Myspace has turned into. The Hennepin County Public Libray Myspace was pretty much the same, they even had the same "books" thanking them for the friend! Library 2.0 should be about interacting with library communities and patrons not about promoting James Patterson's new Young Adult novel. I think for Myspace to be successful as an Outreach tool it needs to be carefully maintained and moderated.
I already have a Facebook so I didn't feel the need to make a new one. I definitely prefer Facebook to Myspace. The site is well constructed with an uncluttered design and straightforward functions. While there are still spammers and fake accounts on Facebook, it's not really as annoying as it is on Myspace. There are tighter friend controls on Facebook so you can choose exactly who can view your profile and pictures. Facebook also works much better for communities and event invitations. It's super easy to find and join groups about your interests. Also the messaging and forum features are much more functional than on Myspace.
I think Facebook definitely has the advantage over Myspace for reaching teen library patrons. For young adult programming especially, Facebook could be a great way to let teens know about what's going on at the library and really get them interesting in library groups and programs. But like Meredith Farkas writes, it will take more than just putting up a profile page on Myspace or Facebook to reach teens. These library pages need to actually reach out and interact with young adults. The most successful group pages and blogs encourage conversation among users.
I already have a Facebook so I didn't feel the need to make a new one. I definitely prefer Facebook to Myspace. The site is well constructed with an uncluttered design and straightforward functions. While there are still spammers and fake accounts on Facebook, it's not really as annoying as it is on Myspace. There are tighter friend controls on Facebook so you can choose exactly who can view your profile and pictures. Facebook also works much better for communities and event invitations. It's super easy to find and join groups about your interests. Also the messaging and forum features are much more functional than on Myspace.
I think Facebook definitely has the advantage over Myspace for reaching teen library patrons. For young adult programming especially, Facebook could be a great way to let teens know about what's going on at the library and really get them interesting in library groups and programs. But like Meredith Farkas writes, it will take more than just putting up a profile page on Myspace or Facebook to reach teens. These library pages need to actually reach out and interact with young adults. The most successful group pages and blogs encourage conversation among users.
Thing 14 - YouBoobTube
Ahh Youtube, the latest greatest time waster. I'm not much of a Youtube user. Occasionally I'll check out videos recommended by friends, clips from tv shows or music videos. The accessibility of the site is great but the video quality is usually pretty poor. One of the best things (and simultaneously the worst thing) about youtube is that you can share your own videos with anyone. The Page training video made by library pages is a great use of the site. But there is such a large volume of crap on Youtube that it can sometimes be difficult to find what you need.
I like Hulu a lot to watch tv shows. The video quality is really nice, I usually don't even mind the short commercials. But it's more of a tv thing so I don't see libraries getting a lot of use out of it, except for maybe watching videos during programs.
I think it would be cool to see CATS use youtube or embed videos at the MCPL website. I would be nice to be able to watch city council or library board meetings online. CATS also records tons of concerts and local events that I would love to be able to watch online.
And now a video on Emergency Preparedness in the workplace :
I like Hulu a lot to watch tv shows. The video quality is really nice, I usually don't even mind the short commercials. But it's more of a tv thing so I don't see libraries getting a lot of use out of it, except for maybe watching videos during programs.
I think it would be cool to see CATS use youtube or embed videos at the MCPL website. I would be nice to be able to watch city council or library board meetings online. CATS also records tons of concerts and local events that I would love to be able to watch online.
And now a video on Emergency Preparedness in the workplace :
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thing 18, SurveyMonkey
Everyone loves SurveyMonkey. And I thought I would too. I've taken dozens of surveys on SurveyMonkey and never had a problem. But for some reason I had SOOO much trouble with it, which I totally wasn't expecting. I'm still not sure what I did wrong, but my initial survey wouldn't complete and report restults when you clicked done. Instead the survey just refreshed, with the answers still filled in. I searched the faq and help pages but couldn't come up with an answer. In fact I spent way more than an hour on it, so I decided not to make another one. I think it must have been a fluke because everyone else I've spoken with has had no trouble at all with their survey.
Of the four survey sites linked in the training post PollDaddy appealed to me the most because of its slick but simple design. I took the tour but didn't sign up for an account and could see myself possibly using it in the future, especially on my blog. I've taken surveys using Zoomerang before online and found it to work pretty well.
As for using SurveyMonkey in the library, I think it's super useful for MCPL to have a pro account. It would be interesting to use it to survey the public on our website about features they like or to suggest improvements. SurveyMonkey is already used a lot for committee work which I think is great. I like the option of open-ended questions because they allow participants to elaborate on their answers. But if you use too many of them it may be difficult to get a lot of responses. Multiple choice questions are quicker and easier to answer, especially if your on desk or in a time crunch.
Of the four survey sites linked in the training post PollDaddy appealed to me the most because of its slick but simple design. I took the tour but didn't sign up for an account and could see myself possibly using it in the future, especially on my blog. I've taken surveys using Zoomerang before online and found it to work pretty well.
As for using SurveyMonkey in the library, I think it's super useful for MCPL to have a pro account. It would be interesting to use it to survey the public on our website about features they like or to suggest improvements. SurveyMonkey is already used a lot for committee work which I think is great. I like the option of open-ended questions because they allow participants to elaborate on their answers. But if you use too many of them it may be difficult to get a lot of responses. Multiple choice questions are quicker and easier to answer, especially if your on desk or in a time crunch.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thing 13 - LibraryThing
LibraryThing is pretty darn cool. It's tons of fun adding and rating books in your library. I do wish the design and function of the site was a bit more elegant. I found it a bit difficult to find friends, and it took me forever to figure out how to write a review! It's not particularly intuitive in that respect. I also wish you could use the search box in your home page to search for and add books. It doesn't really help me much to search my own library, and I don't anticipate that being a feature I would use all that much even if I had a much larger compilation of books.
As it is I think LibraryThing is a great tool for librarians and staff to use internally. Staff could easily see the books their co-workers are reading and discuss them through the forums. It could be a really useful way to connect with other libraries and book enthusiasts for reader's advisory and book trend purposes. I don't think LibraryThing would be ideal for sharing with the public in it's current state. It could be a bit confusing for patrons who are unfamiliar with the application. I do like the idea of importing the reviews and suggestion features from LibraryThing into our pac. That would give our patron's access to the really helpful features without all the details.
So basically I think LibraryThing is a really nice tool for keeping track of the books you read and own. I also like the community aspect of being able to share books and make recommendations. It could use a little tweaking, but so far so good!
As it is I think LibraryThing is a great tool for librarians and staff to use internally. Staff could easily see the books their co-workers are reading and discuss them through the forums. It could be a really useful way to connect with other libraries and book enthusiasts for reader's advisory and book trend purposes. I don't think LibraryThing would be ideal for sharing with the public in it's current state. It could be a bit confusing for patrons who are unfamiliar with the application. I do like the idea of importing the reviews and suggestion features from LibraryThing into our pac. That would give our patron's access to the really helpful features without all the details.
So basically I think LibraryThing is a really nice tool for keeping track of the books you read and own. I also like the community aspect of being able to share books and make recommendations. It could use a little tweaking, but so far so good!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Thing 11, Tagging and Delicious!
I first tried using Delicious 2 or so years ago, and was super confused at first. I used it for a while to archive some favorite websites so I could find them easily when I was away from my own computer. I didn't use it again until recently when a friend of mine moved away, now we have a special Delicious that we can both log into and use to share links. With tags it's super easy to sort and search for links by subject. Because links are basically ranked by how many people tag them, it's really simple to find helpful website on any topic. Tagging a link in Delicious can be just as easy as adding a favorite to your browser. All you have to do is install a Delicious application in Firefox or IE, then all you do is push a button to tag a website.
The thing about tagging / labeling that bugs me is that some sites use commas and some don't. Flickr and delicious don't, but Blogger does. This creates a bit of a learning curve, especially if you're using multiple sites and applications that all tag and label things differently. I think no commas could be standard, with quotation marks for multi word phrases. With delicious you just smush words together or use an underscore if you need more than one in a tag. For example, say you wanted to tag a picture in flickr, a blog post, and a website with the labels hot dogs and chicago. In flickr you would type in; "hot dogs" chicago. In Blogger you would say; hot dogs, chicago. And in Delicious you would write; hotdogs chicago or hot_dogs chicago. Why can't this be standardized?!
Delicious could be a great research tool for Committees. Since many Committees and Task forces are charged to investigate procedures and products used by other libraries and companies, Delicious could be used to organize helpful links. Delicious might also be a great tool for the reference desk. Librarians could create a Delicious account containing helpful for frequent reference topics. For patrons who can't physically make it into the library a compilation of links would be a great resource.
The thing about tagging / labeling that bugs me is that some sites use commas and some don't. Flickr and delicious don't, but Blogger does. This creates a bit of a learning curve, especially if you're using multiple sites and applications that all tag and label things differently. I think no commas could be standard, with quotation marks for multi word phrases. With delicious you just smush words together or use an underscore if you need more than one in a tag. For example, say you wanted to tag a picture in flickr, a blog post, and a website with the labels hot dogs and chicago. In flickr you would type in; "hot dogs" chicago. In Blogger you would say; hot dogs, chicago. And in Delicious you would write; hotdogs chicago or hot_dogs chicago. Why can't this be standardized?!
Delicious could be a great research tool for Committees. Since many Committees and Task forces are charged to investigate procedures and products used by other libraries and companies, Delicious could be used to organize helpful links. Delicious might also be a great tool for the reference desk. Librarians could create a Delicious account containing helpful for frequent reference topics. For patrons who can't physically make it into the library a compilation of links would be a great resource.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
