Thing 22--User Choice

WAYN.com (“Where Are You Now?”) is a networking sight for travel and leisure activities. The home page slogan is “What would you love to do?” New members begin by listing all the places they have visited and would like to visit throughout the world, in addition to where they are now. Members also list their leisure favorite activities—such as reading, hiking, bicycling, camping, cooking, photography, etc. This is made easy with a series of icons for popular activities; just click on the ones you want to add to your profile.From this basis, you can connect with people who have the same interests as you do, or who want to visit or have visited the places you are interested in.

It is a good site for getting information about travel destinations and activities from those who have already experienced them. You can see photos, read reviews and blogs, and watch videos from around the world. Of course, there are ads related to travel and leisure activity, but some of these are even helpful, with special offers and comparison information. All in all, I think this is an interesting, active site, even for armchair travelers.

How could libraries use this networking site? Well, Frisco Public Library currently offers "Travel Kits" on various destinations for our customers to check out. In addition to maps, books, and videos, the kits include a list of websites to visit for further information on the destination. WAYN.com could be added to the list, or it could also be used by librarians to check for additional links to information for various destinations.

Wikis

I like wikis! I had never looked at the Discussion or History tabs on Wikipedia before. That was pretty interesting. I saw something I disagreed with the other day on a Wikipedia page. Now I can't remember what article I was reading, but the next time, I'll make a comment.

It was fun playing on the Frisco Restaurant wiki. I set up a new page for the Market Street in-store food court. Unfortunately, I accidentally set it up as a sub-page under Irish Rover before I realized I wasn't on the home page. I went back and created it as a sub-page for the home page, but I could never figure out how to remove it as sub-page under Irish Rover once it was there. What am I missing?

I think an internal wiki would be great for Frisco Public Library departmental policies and procedures. It seems like they are very fluid and frequentlyy being revised or changed, and it would be handy to have all the information in one place, rather than trying to find all the past e-mails on a subject.

Podcasting

Although I listened to all or parts of podcasts from several libraries, I found none that I would want to subscribe to. The were some that I might listen to (author interviews and book talks), if I was using a portable device and doing something else simultaneously--like walking or driving the car. In general, the audio quality was poor, with uneven volume. Most did not use a musical background or introduction. A lot depends on the speaker. If he or she is lively and humorous, it helps a lot; but some sounded like they were reading from a paper.

Having valuable or interesting content isn't enough; it must also be presented with technical excellence and be entertaining as well as informative. Otherwise people will go elsewhere to get the information in a quicker, less painful way.

Although I'm sounding critical, I realize that it takes a lot of time, talent, and energy to produce an interesting podcast and with many libraries, this is being asked of people who are already busy with numerous other tasks. I noticed that the Cheshire Public Library's podcasts were entirely "Teen-driven" -- a good idea for increasing teenage participation at the library.

Hulu

Well, it's a little hard to stop watching Hulu long enough to blog about it! Even though I've looked over my husband's shoulder a couple times as he was watching something on Hulu, I was amazed when I explored the site for myself. What surprised me was the quantity of shows available, and the currency of them! Every show that I thought I might want to watch was available, and the most recent broadcasts, as well. I know, I'm showing my dinosaur qualities!

The truth is, I rarely watch tv, and when there's a show I think I might want to watch, I forget to turn on the tv (or have my husband turn it on for me -- there's three remotes, for Pete's sake!)

So here it is, all available before me, and I can even access it by myself! It was fun; I was kinda like a kid in the candy store. But like that kid, it's not where I expect to spend my life -- or even regularly visit. First, I don't watch that much tv; second, when I do, there's a lot to be said for lounging on the sofa in front of a big screen; and third, there's even more to be said for not having to watch advertisements.

So, what effect will Hulu and other online viewing sites have on libraries? I (a dinosuar) don't think there will be much negative impact on our DVD circulation. In fact, it could improve it, as customers become aware of or watch clips of programs on Hulu and then decide they want to watch it again without the commercials or some place where they don't have Internet access (not sure where that is!) However, technology continually changes, and as kids grow up watching and reading the majority of media on computers, it may seem as strange to them to watch a show on a tv in a living room as it does to me to watch it on a computer screen at my desk! That means watching the circulation of our physical DVDs vs downloadables, and responding (or anticipating) appropriately in our collection development.

I'm sure I've written more than you want to read, and besides, I've got to get back to Hulu.

YouTube

Well, that was fun. You could spend hours and hours on YouTube, but I only spent 45 minutes, and the videos I watched were a real "mixed bag." Some were hilarious ("Adventures of Super Librarian, Harper College Library Tour); some were stupid ("melvin Dewey Speaks"); some were boring ("Allen Co. Public Library"), etc. In this brief tour of YouTube, I think I learned that if you want to catch the attention of your audience, you better be interesting, funny, AND visually effective. We're used to being entertained; a video that is strictly informational without some entertainment value is not likely to succeed; there's too many other ways to get the information quickly.

As far as addressing the "authoritative" aspect of YouTube videos, there may be a possibility that the summary information that describes the videos could provide some direction. The source/creator is a good starting point.

Thing 17 was a lot of fun, especially for someone who has not played around with music streaming before. I started out with Musicovery, because I liked the idea of the “relational map based upon mood, genre, and decade.” But I kept running into “premium member only” restrictions, and when I tried to do the free registration, I always got a form in a foreign language (French, I think).

So I switched to Pandora. I found it very easy to navigate and choose selections. I like the biographical information it provides about the artists, and the many options for finding and playing the music I like. The only thing I didn’t like was the advertisements, but it is free, after all.

What role can this service play in our patrons’ lives? Well, I guess they could listen to streamed songs before checking out one of our CDs. Maybe the library could provide links in the catalog to streamed samples from our CD collection. Will people still check out CDs in the future? I think the technology will change from CDs to smaller devices with online music providers. Oh, that’s Thing 17! It’s already here!

Google Docs

Google Docs was new to me, and it was interesting to work with. I like the idea of online accessibility of files, even if it is just by me, working from different computers (at home or at work, for example). And it would be very useful also for group collaborations. For example, members of a book club could all contribute to "Discussion Questions" they would like to talk about for the book the group is currently reading.
I tried doing a presentation. I could imagine members of a family all contributing to a "memory book" for one of the relatives...or employees for a coworker. If departments of an organization were doing a joint presentation, and especially if the departments were in different locations, this could be an effective way to work together. I also tried a spreadsheet, and a form. Each of these formats seemed fairly easy to use.

Google Maps

I've usually gone to Mapquest, or more recently, a GPS, for directions to a location. But in exploring Google Maps, I found some fun features. My current favorite feature is zooming in via the satellite view to find homes and businesses with a "bird's eye view." Since we frequently travel on I30E to Little Rock, I was wondering how long it would take us for a side trip to Paris, Texas, and see the "Eifel Tower with a Texas Cowboy Hat." Follow this map and you, too, can enjoy the Eifel Tower in Texas!


View Larger Map

Catching up again -- YouSendIt

I used YouSendIt to send a file to myself (to avoid boring any friends), and it went through quickly with no problems. This is a handy service for photos and videos especially. Graphic artists might love it!

Tiny URL

This seems like a handy little tool, especially if you share a lot of links. To try it out, I used the URL of a trailer for a film documentary that I enjoyed in the theatre last year, "September Issue," the story of how Vogue Magazine's biggest (and heaviest) issue of the year all comes together. The TinyURL for this review is http://tinyurl.com/septvogue, quite a bit shorter and definitely more memorable than www.youtube.com/watch?v=lffDrp4uAlQ.

Facebook

Originally, a couple years ago, I created a Facebook profile so I could keep up with my kids. Then more and more friends, especially in my age group, started becoming part of the Facebook network. Now I find that there are many more ways to use Facebook apart from keeping up with your friends. Next to real people, books have a place on my "friends" list, so naturally I was interested in looking at library and book-related pages. I think the Frisco Library does a great job on its Facebook Page. It stays current and puts art and photos to use. Just needs a little more activity from Adult Services. (Uh oh-- that would include me!) Other pages I have found interesting and helpful are Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Texas Book Festival.

Linked In

I enjoyed exploring the Linked In site and connecting with other librarians. I took the opportunity to look at Dr. Heezen's profile. I think that the primary usefulness of this site would be for job searching and career building. If I were moving to another city and looking for a poistion in the library field there, this would be an excellent resource. It is a good way to build a professional network, much more efficient than passing out business cards at Chamber of Commerce "Meet & Mingle" events. Unless, of course you like face-to-face contact.

LibraryThing and GoodReads

I like using both LibraryThing and GoodReads as resources for book clubs--suggestions for books, reviews, read-alikes, and so forth. LibraryThing and LibraryThing for Libraries are amazing in the amount of information and resources they offer. I've encouraged members of our book clubs to post reviews of books they have read in our catalog through LibraryThing for Libraries, and there is one member who does that regularly. I use the GoodReads website for reviews and recommendations on book club selections. I placed the GoodReads link on my Facebook page--making me a literary social mediaist (right?)

LibraryThing also offers our library another way to publicize our programs, through LibraryThing Local. I added an announcement about this month's book club meeting. (Do I get extra credit for that?) This site could be added to the distribution list for library event publicity.

Social Bookmarking

This is a fun "thing." On a snowy day like today when I am housebound (in midstate Arkansas), I can envision spending whole afternoons discovering websites on subjects I am interested in. I also like the idea of having my own bookmarked websites available to me from wherever I access the Internet. Since "Delicious" made me think of food, I bookmarked a couple of recipe websites on my account. Then I looked at other users' recipe bookmarks, and that opened up a whole new world!

I think that social bookmarking would be a great thing for libraries to utilize and encourage, with the usual disclaimer regarding reliability and accredibility of websites. In fact, we might even find our patrons doing some of our reference work, as they come up with and share creditable resources from the Internet.

Tagging

Does tagging belong in the library? Does it replace or complement subject headings? Should we encourage or discourage the practice?

Whew! My first response to use of tagging in the library is "loss of control!!" Therefore, I don't think it will ever--or should ever--replace subject headings. But as far as complementing subject headings: YES! Then it becomes one more way for the user to explore avenues of information. Does this inspire intellect, curiosity, and imagination? I think so.

Should we encourage or discourage the practice? Rather than encourage or discourage tagging, I think that librarys should use the practice to enhance library services. This is what LibraryThing does, giving additional ways to search out information. Users familiar with tags will probably find the library a friendlier place when tags appear in our catalog.

Instant Messaging

I've responded to instant messages before, but never initiated them. Today I sent IMs, and in the process, learned more about Office Communicator. Instant Messaging can be seen (to paraphrase Monk) as both a gift and a curse. It is a great means of quick, efficient communication. On the other hand, it can be seen as one more interruption in our already chopped up lives. Like many things, it is a good tool, but it can be abused.
I like the idea of an IM reference service. To me, that is meeting the desires of our public. However, the name itself implies "instant" service as well as instant messaging. An IM reference service cannot be offered unless one or more librarians can be dedicated to the service for whatever hours it is in operation. And, given the economic status of most libraries, that won't happen without serious rearrangement of the budget.

DIGG

I think I'm on social media overload. I created a Digg account, looked at the website, looked at some of the articles, reviewed the tutorial (all while the Cowboys were beating the Eagles).

How are Digg and public libraries similar? Well, libraries (at least ones with a philosophy similar to ours) attempt to provide the public with the materials that are the most in demand. Maybe not the most educational, or the most edifying, or the most intellectual, but what people in our community desire to read, hear, learn. I would say that is what Digg also provides in its content.

Does Digg's approach to the news change the expectations of the public about what qualifies as "news"? I don't think it changes the expectations of the public as much as it reflects the public's expectations. Digg's approach seems to be to promote news that is interesting to the public, not necessarily news that is important for the public.

Does that mindset affect the way people might think about public libraries? If the mindset is that the public determines what is newsworthy, it could also extend to libraries: the public determines what is worth reading. Or is it mindset that emphasizes "social media"? It's possible that such a mindset could result in a greater reliance on "wiki" resources than on more credible sources. I think that librarians must recognize the social media trend and capitalize on it to attract and retain customers, but we must also provide and promote the professional credibility we offer in our services and resources that cannot be assured with social/community sources.

Twitter and Libraries

I set up a Twitter account (maryfrisco) and played around with it for a while. Reading Trending Topics and searching key words was interesting, but I don't know that it was all that fruitful for the time spent. Librarians might gain ideas from Trending Topics for programming or collection development, but it seems like a lot of searching and a lot of reading in order to do that. Libraries with Twitter accounts could regularly tweet announcements, such as the ones on our flat screens and screensavers. We could also send out info on new books, CDs, DVDs, programming, changes in hours, etc.

However, I think the jury is still out on Twitter. According to the CommonCraft video, Twitter is for filling in those blanks between blogs and e-mail. Who has time to do all that??? And how widespread are the demographics for Twitter? I couldn't understand part or all of a majority of the tweets I read. They certainly didn't sound like they were written by people of my generation (or the one after mine).

Photos

I opened a Picasa account and started uploading photos. I'm still confused about the uploading business, because not all the photos I thought I uploaded were actually uploaded. I did manage to create an album on Picasa, and made it public. So, please visit my web album and find out which state park is my favorite and why!

RSS Feeds

I admit, I have not really known what an RSS feed is . . . and now I sorta know! In fact, I added five favorite websites to my "feeds" folder on my Internet Browser. This is cool. I can see now why I have got those "Add to RSS feed?" messages on the Internet (and not knowing what they meant, just ignored them). And yes, there are many ways libraries could untilize this tool. I like the idea of having "Book Club" blogs --- one for each genre readers are interested in. Then readers who like to write (post) and read about books in a particular genre could put that blog on an RSS feed so they will always know when there is a new post.
And of course, the librarian who collects for that genre would always post when new books have been put on the shelves, as well as making comments about "noteworthy books" in the genre.

Blog Readers

I have followed the steps to set up the FPL 23 Things Folder and add a couple of subscriptions (thank you, Danny, Carlene, and Larissa). But I think I have more questions than I have answers. Adam and Elizabeth are definitely correct when they say (somewhere in the instructions) that it is important just to spend time working with the tools. TIME! that is the thing I want more of! Or, as some people would suggest, better priortization of time. Okay, I think I am moving forward to Thing 3 now.

Catching up

I'm trying to catch up with 23 Things. Surely it's easier if you just do it week-by-week. Now that Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations are over, that will be my New Year's Resolution.