basically

Better Late Than Never?

2006-12-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

I still have a few comments to make regarding the social software and online tools that we studied tis semester, so I'm going to make them despite the lateness in the term!

Blogging

Before blogging for this class, I didn't really have any direct experience with creating a blog. Although I used blogs to find information or to read about someone's perspective on certain things, I had never even considered using one myself. The prospect of using one for this class was a little daunting to me, especially since I had alot of trouble with Blogger from the start. I was also concerned about whether or not I would remember to update the blog and how hard it would be to write in a formal/informal blog style. Although I wasn't the greatest with keeping up with the blog postings, I feel like I became more comfortable with blogging in general and also with being able to comment on other's blogs. Blogger also became easier to use and I definitely enjoyed using it as my blogging software.
Regarding blogs in libraries, I was also a bit skeptical about how this would be used effectively. However, the case studies that we studied showed that blogs can definitely be used effectively in a library setting, especially if it is geared toward users who are computer savvy and familiar with blogs. The best way that I thought blogs were being used in libraries is to update patrons on library events, and to advertise new library materials. I also really like the idea of using blogs as a means of communication between library staff as well. This type of open chat communication is much easier to use and manage than multiple emails and email addresses and because it can be accessed anywhere, setting up remote access is not even an issue.

RSS

Similar to the use of blogs in libraries, I found that the best use of RSS by libraries was to let patrons know of new library materials. The ability to pick and choose whether to receive notices on books on specific subjects is especially useful in an academic library environment. This is a service I could see myself using. Although I haven't really got into subscribing to RSS feeds myself, I really liked trying out the different aggregators to find out what types of information was recommended and how the feeds were displayed.

Social Bookmarking

I really liked adding links to Del.ici.ous this term! I got excited when I came accross articles and news stories pertaining to social software and internet communications because I knew that I could share them with others. I especially like that Del.ici.ous suggests tags that users have already chosen for specific articles, because it allowed me to see what other readers got out of the work and what I could possibly be looking for as I read the article. The only issue that I have with social bookmarking is the highly personal and subjective nature of tagging and the difficulty that this can inflict on attempting to find articles and newstories. However, this is probably one of the best features of social bookmarking as well! It allows users to create a niche space on a social bookmarking site using individual and personal tags. Libraries using social bookmarking to collect articles and websites on specific topics was done really well in the case studies that we looked at. Much in the same way as RSS was being used, this would be especially beneficial in an academic library environment.

Wikis

I think that of all the social software and networking tools we have covered this term, wiki is the one that I view as the least useful in libraries. I personally find websites like Wikipedia useful for finding initial or background information on a topic, but beyond this I find that wikis are too often viewed as reliable information resources when the validity of their information should be questioned and used with caution. Unlike social networking sites like Livejournal or Myspace where users are generally aware that the content is created by an individual and not by an authoritative resource or organization, wikis are often formatted to look like encycopedias and their searchability makes them easily confusable with educational websites.

I hope that as I begin to delve more into the world of librarianship that I see and recognize social software being implemented in libraries and that I will be able to take what I have learned here and make suggestions.

Best Practices

2006-12-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

What has surprised me the most overall in looking at social software and how it applies to libraries is how versatile and useful things like wikis, podcasts and RSS feeds can be. I was somewhat skeptical when I first thought about libraries using social software because I tend to see a lot of traditional library operations in my employment at various libraries and was thinking about how the people I work with and how I would incorporate social software into the library. Although I now see how social software can be implemented effectively into libraries, I come away with the idea that social software should be taken on based on need, and not on want. Although it may be appealing to implement a social software tool because it is popular or cutting edge, needlessly investing time and effort into a program or peice of software that will not be used or accepted by patrons would be a waste of time. The case studies we have looked at have shown us both good and bad examples of how libraries implement social software, and I have found that looking at these has been an effective way of learning more about libraries and social software.

Libraries on Myspace

2006-11-15T21:27:00.000-05:00

I've come to realize that most of my reflections on this week's and last week's readings have been heavily influenced by my perceived knowledge and general lack of knowledge about Myspace and other online social networks. I have a lot of stereotypes about what Myspace is used for, who uses it, and how useful it is. Being confronted with the idea that libraries could possibly use this resource as a genuinely useful outlet for disseminating information or having an additional online pressence, at first, seemed completely unrealistic to me. I found Meredith Farkas' ideas about this insightful and I thought that many of her thoughts addressed the specific issues that I had with libraries using Myspace.
The first issue or question that I had concerning libraries on Myspace was: Why? Why do libraries need to invade every possible cool or trendy online space just because it happens to be cool. Farkas cautions that libraries should not develop Myspace pages just because it is cool. She mentions that simply creating a profile with the bare bones elements - picture, description etc. - is not helping the library or its patrons in any way. And I agree. However, Farkas makes some really great suggestions as to how Myspace can effectively be used by libraries without seemingly invading the private space of their patrons. Soliciting feedback and requests for materials from patrons was one of the suggestions that I felt was fantastic. What better way to make sure the library's Myspace page is actually being used. Additionally, if the page is simply not getting any response from patrons, this is an automatic way to recognize that maybe Myspace isn't the best way for that particular library to gather information and opinion from its patrons.
The issue of space also plays a large part of how Farkas deals with the presence of libraries on Myspace. Determining whether or not the existence of a library's page on Myspace would be considered a violation of private space by patrons should be one of the largest determining factors when considering putting a library on Myspace. Attempting to get at a teen audience simply by weaseling into their private online spaces is not only wrong, but terribly uncool. Farkas mentions that the essence of Myspace as a public domain means, to some, that the space is not considered private, but she also mentions that although this is true, for some users, such as teens, these spaces can be incredibly private. The expectation of privacy should be respected before infiltrating all the online environments of library patrons.
That's all for now. I feel like talking about libraries on Myspace is kind of surreal, sort of like seeing your mom when she's had a few glasses of wine. I'll come back to this one.

Online Social Networks (Week 10 Continued)

2006-11-13T20:45:00.000-05:00

I just have a bit more to say about last week's articles on social networking before delving into this week's readings. Most of my thoughts on last week's online social networks topic are in response to Danah Boyd's Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace article/speech. The use of space/place to describe how online social networks operate for youth and teens totally opened my eyes to how these networks function for a group who are completely beyond my scope of knowledge. I tend to think of the world and social interactions (and everything) in terms of space, so this article described perfectly for me what I wasn't able to grasp before. And that is that online social networks and websites function as a necessary space in which teens can hang out outside of the fully structured and controlled spaces in which they spend the majority of their day. Boyd's assertion that "[b]y going virtual, digital technologies allow youth to (re)create private and public youth space while physically in controlled spaces" explains why social networking sites and IM are not only so appealing to youth, but are valued so much by them. Without the opportunity to socialize in a relaxed setting in person, youth are claiming online environments as their own public (Myspace) and private (IM) spaces. Looking at online social networks as space has helped me to understand how these sites and programs complement rather than negate face-to-face socialization for youth and other users who rely heavily on these modes of interaction.

Online Social Networks

2006-11-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

Like a few others in the class, I hadn't had much exposure to online social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook until now. I do remember when Facebook and Friendster began being popular and I certainly can't ignore how prevalent Myspace has become with the constant media buzz about how it affects youth. I've just never really had a desire to connect online via these networks. I have a feeling that it's because no one in my social circle actively uses these programs, and there is really no incentive for me to connect with internet strangers. I did, however, create a Myspace account when I was looking for a new haircut. I thought, people on these spaces generally post a lot of pictures of themselves and friends, and it was much easier to find a style this way than pouring over magazines. Perhaps not the intended use for these networks, but it worked for me!
That being said, I found the Wikipedia article on Social Networks really interesting. I have a background in Sociology, and reading about social networking theory, and theory of weak ties etc. as they apply to online social networking was really intriguing. While I find the application of social networking theories to online communities, I can't help but be wary of takign these applications at face value. The difference between face to face social interaction and interaction online is still quite different to me and I think that new or modified versions of social networking theories should cautiously be applied to the new online social networks that currently exist.
I definitely have more to say on this topic and will be providing updates soon!

Break

2006-10-26T15:32:00.000-04:00

I've taken this week as one of my grace weeks. (Actually I somehow completely forgot to write my blog this week!)

Tag: Social Bookmarking

2006-10-18T21:13:00.000-04:00

What's the Big Deal?
The point raised by Joshua Porter in his del.icio.us Lesson article differentiating between the importance of personal value versus network value in social bookmarking really helped me understand social bookmarking and tagging in general. I have to admit that, although I have been keeping up with adding things to the LIS757 tag in del.icio.us, I haven't really been compelled to use social bookmarking for myself. Because tagging on social bookmark sites are not regulated by pre-defined meta keywords, tagging can be used for personal reasons, making social bookmarking more than just aggregation. What compells people to tag websites or pictures is personal reason, not selfless interest in connecting the web and making it more easy to navigate (although I am sure there are some users who tag for this reason). However, while the reasons behind social bookmaking may not be entirely selfless, the act of tagging serves to connect people with articles, sites or images that are useful to them based on common tags, thus making the web easy to navigate through tags.

CiteULike
Motivated by selfishness, I don't tag online items other than those for LIS757 even though I may think that a site may be useful for someone else. However, after looking at the case studies for this week, I was drawn to CiteUlike, probably the least visually impressive example, but nevertheless, the most appealing to me. I found the academic nature of this social bookmarking cite really interesting and potentially helpful as a research tool for collecting articles on specific topics. I have often been searching databases for information on a specific reasearch topic and found articles that would be great for future research. Normally I email myself the citation through the database's internal function, but these usually end up lost in my inbox or inadvertendly deleted. Because I have no real formal or set way to deal with these random articles, they tend to be lost. CiteUlike provides a great way not only to keep track of these articles, but also to see what others have found on the same topic and to tag the articles for future reference. Another bonus with this site is the ability to import to RefWorks.

Information Seeking Behavior
Perhaps it is the way that I find articles, by browsing and using citation searching, that made the idea of social bookmarking finally click with me through my tour of CiteUlike. Adam Mathes discusses the different information seeking behaviors and how tagging influences and complements these behaviors. Because folksonomies and tagging uses the vocabulary of users, finding information unexpectedly is more likely, as people may make connections between tags that controlled taxonomy may limit. Using folksonomies and tagging provide a good entry point into a topic. Learning the prescribed taxonomy and thesaurus of a specific database or reference tool can often take up a lot of time. And although there are tools embedded within these systems to facilitate the use of taxonomies, these tools are often difficult to use or simply don't recognize the topic you are attempting to research. Mathes mentions that folksonomies may be considered as the start of a defined taxonomy, and I think this idea is true. Beginning with search terms that seem most logical to people is a better approach than giving people a predefined taxonomy and then having them attempt to learn its intricacies. Just as libararians are having to accept that users are going to use Google for research and tailor their instruction accordingly, research tools and online resources should take a lesson from social bookmarking and let the users lead the way.

Wikis: Who Knew?

2006-10-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

Wow! Wikis!
The readings this week on Wikis were really eye-opening for me. Before this week I had only an inkling of what Wikis were and what they can do. To me, a Wiki was an online encyclopedia that was open to augmention by anyone, which is partially accurate, and my realm of Wiki knowledge didn't really extend past the well-known Wikipedia. After looking at the case studies and considering the readings for this week, I think Wikis are the most exciting and promising examples of social software that we have studied thus far.
One major difference that I have noticed between the discussion on blogs and the discussion on Wikis is that plagarism is considered less of an offense with Wikis. Whereas blogging is influenced by strict ethical guidelines, the communal quality of Wikis allows sharing between Wikis. Because the information that is borrowed from another Wiki may be augmented at any time, any worry of plagarism seems to be pretty much obsolete. Additionally, since Wiki nodes are often included in the text of Wikis, there seems to be a need for interdependence among and within individual Wikis.
I really liked Farkas's idea of using password protected Wikis for group projects. The ability to have a meeting online through a Wiki is a really outstanding idea and one that I can see myself participating in easily. This application would also be useful in a public library setting for a book club writing on specific aspects of a book. The Princeton Public Library Booklover's Wiki opperates in a similar way. While this Wiki looks like a simple book review site or blog, the ability of library patrons to add to and change the book reviews is what makes it truly interactive. (I also love how they seem to have a little sandwich icon that shows up beside their URL in Firefox. Let me know if this isn't actually a sandwich. I think it might be a book, which would be more appropriate, but a sandwich would be way better.) The ability to interact with the Web is truly alive in Wikis, and as Sir Tim Berners Lee lamented, is not limited to clicking.
Wikis seem to hold a lot of possibility for libraries and how librarians and library staff interact with patrons. The Butler WikiRef is a super example of how Wikis are being used effectively in an academic setting. The ability for a student or reference librarian to add to the description of each work is very valuable. I look forward to seeing Wikis put to use like this in the future, with notes about specific chapters and the usefulness of a title's bibliography and so forth.

RSS and Blog Addiction

2006-10-10T20:32:00.000-04:00

RSS and Blog Addiction
Week 5's readings on RSS and blogs, combined with the readings from week 4, all have a certain undertone suggesting the addictive nature of blogs and the addictive tendencies of bloggers. Many of the articles from this week warn users not to get too carried away when subscribing to RSS feeds for fear that an overflow of blog postings and articles to read would take up too much time. Ian Winship, in his discussion about RSS feeds, warns that "if you miss checking for a few days you could have hundreds of items to look at, so you might need to be firm about what you read". Although RSS feeds provide us with a way to organize, filter, and maintain our online information, the warnings given in this, and other articles concerning RSS, appear to be testament to the addictive qualities of these types of social software. Even though RSS and blogs are painted to be addictive for people who check and update them, it doesn't seem much different from those who are addicted to checking their email (myself included) or those who live on social networking websites like Myspace and Friendster and become obsessed with checking to see if they have any comments or messages. While these compulsive behaviours have become normalized for those of us in an information society, taking the time to think about the implications of and motivations behind these actions provides some interesting and puzzling observations.
Take, for example, Myspace and those users who check their profiles many times a day to see if there are any comments on the new picture or song or story they've posted. If we think of this outside the realm of online social software, the equivalent would be approaching stranger and friends and asking "Do you think my hair looks good like this?", "Listen to this new song, do you like it?", "Isn't this picture of my friend Jen hilarious?" and so on. To think of this is pretty absurd, but in the world of social software the boundaries that make this absurd come down, making compulsive RSS feed checking something of a normal activity.

RSS Feeds vs. Table of Contents Subscription
The readings from this week reminded me of the similarities between RSS feeds and table of contents subscriptions and other alterting services. Although RSS feeds are much easier, subscriptions are made with the click of a mouse, the purpose behind each is essentially the same. Perhaps this is why libraries have been so open to blogs announcing new books and journals and why RSS feeds have found a comfortable home on library web pages. Reichardt suggests that while these services have similarities, that RSS feeds further simplify these services by allowing users to migrate news feeds, listservs and alerting services into one software tool. Reichardt's comments about the lack of recognition among undergraduate students about social software like blogs struck me as odd. I generally assume that younger generations are the ones making social software so popular, but this is a misconception proven by Reichardt's finding. Making undergraduate, as well as graduate, students aware of RSS feeds is essential, especially in light of the addition of RSS feeds to major databases. This feature will allow students to begin receiving articles on a given topic at the beginning of their studies and to build on this collection over their years at university. The opportunities and time savings that this feature offers is outstanding. It is definitely something that I wish I had known more about or had learned more about earlier in my education. It will be really interesting to see how student's knowledge of these applications influences how they learn, study and work and how RSS will influence the roles of academic librarians in the near future.

Information Pizza

2006-09-27T19:53:00.000-04:00

RSS
This weeks readings, along with the group presentation, have been really helpful in demystifying RSS feeds for me. Prior to this course I didn't have any experience or knowledge of RSS feeds and now I feel like I know enough to talk about it. I liked the analogy of an information pizza given in the Rosenberger article because it captures the idea of being able to pick and choose the information we take in without having pick off all of the extraneous information or anchovies. The idea of being able to subscribe to specific part of websites, such as the example given of the Houston Chronicle which allows users to subscibe to specific sections of the publication, rather than subscribing to news from the entire paper has interesting implications for RSS feeds and libraries. For example, if users wish to access information about new books at the library, but are only interested in one genre, this same principle could apply.

Library RSS Feeds
The Tacoma Public Library RSS feed incorporates this idea well, with over 30 different RSS feeds availible for patrons. This includes the ability to receive information on new titles based on various categories and subjects. Similar to this is the University of Oklahoma's RSS feeds, which are availible for subscription on countless different levels. I was very impressed with the range of RSS feeds availible from UofO and the depth to which some of the subjects lead. This would be extremely helpful for students who want all information on their particular discipline, but is even more helpful to those students who need information and research for elective courses in which the information is less known to them. Additionally, information on their particular research topic can be gathered, rather than all information on the broad subject or discipline. I like that the Hennepin County Library provides links to RSS aggregators and newsreaders in a prominent location on their site. The prominent placement of these links will most likely reduce confusion among users who are new to RSS feeds and who may simply be clicking on the RSS button for information without using an aggregator.

Other RSS Aggregators
After looking at Netvibes and Rojo, my favourite feature is the picture display on Netvibes. While this does not impact the functionality or usability of the aggregator, I was drawn to this feature and was interested in what others were looking at. The ability to connect Gmail to Netvibes is also a useful feature, as it allows for a one-stop-shop for information on the web as much of the RSS literature talks about. The simplicity of the Rojo main page was a good selling point for me. I find that it is less confusing that Netvibes and Bloglines. Also the help section on this aggregator is very useful, which is good for those of us who are still a little unsure of RSS.

Multilingual Library Blogs

2006-09-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

The idea was mentioned in one of the readings on blogs that multi-lingual blogs may be used to effectively target specific audiences with diverse interests and needs. I think that multi-lingual blogs are a good idea. However, I think that multi-lingual library services in general are a must. Working in a public library system which serves a core patron base covering many different languages, I can't help but think if multi-lingual services should be established in all aspects of library service - including reference, collection etc. - before it is installed into a library's blog. I suppose this reveals my underlying opinion that, as of now, library blogs are more of an "add-on" than an essential service for libraries and library users. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the cultural and social factors affecting each linguistic group within the library and perhaps a realization that online options are often not the most effective way to remain in contact with all patrons.

Library Blogs

2006-09-24T09:26:00.000-04:00

The readings on library blogs and creating blogs in general have some very interesting and useful information about how to effectively use blogs to promote library services and to interact with library patrons. Fitcher's suggestion to create a unique voice or persona for the blog was a really intriguing idea. I think this technique would be especially useful for a blog aimed at younger library users or for a library blog devoted to answering questions from frustrated library users. This would be a good way to ensure the blog's tone has continuity and also to ensure that the blog remained within some of the ethical guidelines outlined by Schneider. In particular, ensuring that a personable way of speaking isn't compromising the public nature of the blog and hindering the library's reputation.
Although blogs are familiar, and are becoming more commonplace, with many library users, keeping in mind that blogs may be new to many people if important when deciding on all aspects of a library blog. One of the main features to keep in mind is navigation. In order for a library's blog to be useful, users have to be able to find the information they are looking for and also be able to easily come accross other interesting and pertinent information. Having a search feature for the blog would be extremely helpful to users who may already be used to searching the library's OPAC and would therefore be comfortable using a system such as this. In addition to a search feature, having a list of designated subjects that users can browse would be useful. Waterboro Public Library's blog is a good example of how this can be acheived. Along the left hand side of the page specific topics are provided for browsing, such as book reviews and library events. In this way, the blog reads more like a traditional website, which may be effective for users both new to blogs and more seasoned bloggers. For a library's blog to be successful, consideration must be given to what will appeal to and be useful for all library users, not just web-savvy users.

My Blog's Theme

2006-09-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

Spell B-L-O-G

2006-09-20T23:05:00.000-04:00

I just thought it was interesting that my blog program doesn't count "blog" as a word in its spell checker.

What We're Doing When We Blog

2006-09-20T22:54:00.000-04:00

Meg Hourihan's What We're Doing When We Blog gives a perspective of blogs, bloggers and the anatomy of a blog that I had not previously considered. Hourihan's article focuses on the "physical" format of the blog, rather than the content of a blog, and suggests that this defines the writings of a blogger more than any type of content ever could. The opening passage of the article was particularly relevant as recent media attention focusing on the web-page/blog of the person responsible for the school shootings in Montreal somehow implicate the existence of online blogs and other related social software in the actions of the shooter. Recent media reports focusing on Myspace.com pages of teens who have committed suicide as a result of school bullying have also decried social software as an avenue for hatred to be spread. Hourihan's explanation that the media reporting on social software often has no concept of what it is like to use the software partially explains the misinterpretation that surrounds blogs in the media. However, Hourihan's description of blogs as liberating and as a mechanism for free speech give backing to some of the exaggerations of blogs as portrayed through the media. Whether or not social software has given rise to bullying or violent behavior is doubtful, but the need to place blame seems to fall on the element that is least understood.

Library 2.0

2006-09-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

In the blog post "11 Reasons Why Library 2.0 Exists and Matters", the author outlines some of the basic premises and ideas behind library 2.0 and even questions whether or not it exists. Athough I have worked in public libraries for the past six years and in other types of libraries intermitently, I never really grasped the concept of Library 2.0 as a concrete concept as described in the blog post. Even though the blog's author contends that Library 2.0 is still mainly ideological, the possibilities that Library 2.0 can bring to both patrons and employees seem endless. When I first started reading through the blog posting, I was reminded of library patrons who loathe the technology that libraries both use and lend. While some users maintain that libraries should circulate only books, others visit libraries or online libraries for access to electronic items only. And despite what the blog posting mentions about Library 2.0 as a response to pre or post-google, I can't help but wonder if users won't still depend on Google while engaging in the projects and interaction that Library 2.0 offers. I predict that the radical change that Library 2.0 offers will be embraced by the current group of users who have grown up with social software who may engage with libraries and library resources without even considering their source. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen, but I think that anything that gets users "IN" to the library, whether on the web or in person, is beneficial.

Web 2.0? What was the first one?

2006-09-20T22:11:00.000-04:00

Admittedly, when I first started reading about Web 2.0, I had no idea what the concept meant or that there was a Web 1.0. I found it surprising that a large components of Web 2.0 is the social software that we have been talking about and reading about in this class. Unbeknownst to me, I was participating in a web phenomenon I hadn't known existed. The article that probably spoke to me the most about this topic and revelation was Rouch's Social Machines. Although I don't agree with everything that was said in the article, I found it really eye-opening and surprising to me as I previously considered myself somewhat web-savvy. The concept of continuous computing and the day-to-day interactions and actions of humans taking place in an information field is disturbing because it is so true. While we bask in the notion that information is all around us, especially as librarians, the notion of continuous computing created a feeling, for me, of entrapment. However, what the article outlined was that while we are surrounded by "computing" all the time, the seamless way that it is incorporated into our lives makes this feeling of being trapped disappear.
What I pulled away the most from this particular article was the notion that people's lives really are being lived online. While this isn't so shocking, the idea that we want our lives to be online - to share pictures, to share our music, to be available to anyone 24/7 - definitely is. I personally don't like photographs of myself being online or for strangers to contact me because we have the same interests, but the proliferation of social software seems to indicate that I may be in the minority. I am looking forward to reading more about these softwares and what compells people to be so open with their lives online. Additionally, seeing how libraries can benefit from continuous computing is also interesting to consider.

Megan's Blog 2.0

2006-09-20T22:08:00.000-04:00

So I've been having a lot of trouble/bad luck/frustration with starting my own blog as evidenced by my lack of posting since the first week. Everything seems to be working out alright now and I am going to start putting my notes and responses from the previous week's readings online. I am still pretty perplexed about the whole blogs/social software thing and I'm pretty sure I still don't know exactly what an RSS feed is. However, the readings so far have been interesting and I'm definitely learning a lot more. I'm also really impressed with everyone's blogging abilities and I can only aspire to do so well!

First Post Ever

2006-09-07T19:49:00.000-04:00

Hi,
This is my first blog post EVER. Like ever, ever. I've never had a blog before, and I've never contemplated having a blog before. My experience with blogs has mainly been through observing others online journals and blogs and my main response to these has been to feel that they are boring and kind of self-absorbed. However, after scanning some of the readings for this first week, I've changed my mind a little. I think that the personal blogs I was looking at were mainly for the benefit of the writer, while blogs as a tool within libraries and other organizations can act as much more.
I am currently on co-op in Ottawa and I am learning a lot more about the technical side of librarianship. I'm hoping that this class will serve to teach me more about this aspect of the profession.
Megan