Beyond Method #12

"Beyond Two-Steppin' " has increased my exposure to Web 2.0 technologies and has given me some new resources to utilize both professionally and personally. Method #2 (Customize your window to the Internet) and Method #8 (Capture your computer screen) were two of my favorite methods. A nice additional resource would be a bibliography of all the links and articles presented in each method so participants would have a quick reference source after completing the course. If TSLAC offered another program in the future I would certainly consider participating. Thank you to those who designed this course and shared their research and resources.

Beyond Method #11

I have completed some online surveys, particularly when I was in college, but have never conducted an online survey. To my knowledge, the only regular patron survey conducted by my library is a paper survey handled by our children's services department in connection with our summer reading program. In the past, some adult programming satisfaction paper surveys were also conducted.

If I were assigned the task of conducting a patron survey, I would seriously consider utilizing one of the online survey tools presented in this method. Live audience survey tools could become increasingly user friendly in the light of the rise of cell phones, smart phones, and tablets, and might be an interesting option for future programming satisfaction surveys.

Beyond Method #10

I have attended a few webinars which utilized online conferencing tools and I think WebEx was the specific platform used by the webinar host. In the past my family has used the phone feature of Skype to make long distance calls.

My library is not currently using any web conferencing tools in conjunction with staff or patrons. Our library does not have branches, so all the staff is in the same building and therefore can communicate in person rather than long distance. At this time I don't perceive a patron demand for web conferencing services from our library, although perhaps in the future some experimentation could take place with offering adult programs in the form of webinars in addition to traditional in-person events.

Beyond Method #9

Customize your own photo slideshow

I used Smilebox to explore the online scrapbooking digital storytelling method. The process was fairly smooth, although I wanted to make some formatting changes that were not offered within the pre-designed templates. I do not see any immediate uses for digital storytelling in my library. At this time, our patron's library usage seems to be more technology and entertainment oriented rather than creativity or community focused.

Beyond Method #8

I decided to try Screenr and created a screencast showing how to access OverDrive ebooks and utilize OverDrive help tutorials through our library's website. The recording process was very smooth and easy; I was able to begin using the software quickly without sorting through extensive directions or installing multiple pieces of software.

Screencasting tools allow instruction to occur remotely and would allow our patrons to access help resources 24/7. Although my library does not currently utilize this technology, I could see possible uses for screencasting in our library, both to offer assistance to patrons through our website, and to share knowledge among library staff.

Beyond Method #7

I chose to explore Google Docs and this was my first experience with any of the "next generation" presentation tools described in this method. Google Docs offers an interface similar to Microsoft Office PowerPoint, but with limited features and design options.

In general, online presentation tools would be subject to many of the same pros and cons as any cloud based application. Based on my experimentation with Google Docs, I would choose Microsoft Office PowerPoint, when available, for its broader selection of features. However, online presentation tools would lend themselves better to collaborating with other individuals or accessing a presentation remotely. Further experience would be helpful in order for me to offer informed assistance to patrons seeking to use online presentation tools.

Beyond Method #6

I found Project Gutenberg easy to use, at least to the extent of reading a book on a computer. Here is the link to the ebook I opened: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1342 .

I was interested to discover this title is also available as an audiobook, and I think some of our patrons would be interested in Project Gutenberg as a source of classic, downloadable audiobooks in contrast to the newer releases offered through other ebook/eaudiobook platforms. Method #6 prompted me to do some research, and I learned the process of transferring an ebook or eaudiobook from Project Gutenberg to an ereader is fairly simple.

At my library, ebooks in general continue to be an often confusing, but very popular, library service. I wonder sometimes where this current ebook trend and its associated technology will go in the future and how we will look back on these early years....

Beyond Method #5

LibraryThing or Goodreads could be valuable readers' advisory tools for the right target group of patrons, but I don't think these resources would automatically appeal to all patrons. Searching the sites to find similar books or book recommendations could be time consuming, and would require users to be comfortable using a computer. In terms of comparing the two sites, I actually found LibraryThing easier to navigate. I quickly found lists of recommendations after searching for a specific title, but I never felt like I found the same extent of information on Goodreads. LibraryThing also seemed to present fewer ads, which I appreciated.

Beyond Method #4

I believe using an employment website to find a specific job posting or to complete an online application could be very challenging to a user who is not computer literate. Individuals who are comfortable using a computer can perform tasks including using a mouse, sending an email, uploading a file, or printing a confirmation page without difficulty, but to an individual who has very little exposure to computers each of these tasks may involve multiple steps, any one of which can become a hurdle.

I discovered the Goodwill Community Foundation training website just before beginning Method #4 and have been very impressed with the site's interface, scope, and currency. I would definitely recommend it to patrons seeking to improve their computer skills. Also, my library offers one-on-one computer classes and basic resume classes, both of which could be assets to job seekers.

Beyond Method #3

Our library website currently includes a static map of our location, but I could see benefits to replacing our current map with a Google map which would allow patrons to get specific driving directions or to expand the map to see more of the surrounding area. I did not find Google Maps quite as easy to use as I had anticipated. Creating a new map was not a problem, but I expected to be able to enter an address as part of the creation process, rather than returning to the search box to enter an address and then saving the identified lcoation to the map I had created.

Here is the link to the map I created for a place I would like to visit someday:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217048749985251574552.0004a9794913e24baba46&msa=0&ll=38.887008,-77.004762&spn=0.007282,0.013583

Beyond Method #2

Since I have very little experience with customizable homepages, I would lean on the recommendations of more experienced users and suggest NetVibes as the best option for librarians. The NetVibes interface seemed a little sharper, or more professional; on the other hand, a Google homepage might be subject to fewer restrictions on availability due to technological support issues or updates.

In many cases, I would assume a library's website would naturally be the homepage displayed on computers in the library. But if library staff had limited control over their website or limited web design skills, a customizable home page might be an alternative which would allow library staff to easily and quickly make changes or updates. Customizable homepages could be especially useful for small libraries or special libraries, cases where the staff is few or the library is just getting started.

Method #12

This course has been valuable to me for its exposure to Web 2.0 applications I had heard about, but could not have clearly defined. My favorite application was social tagging, and I am specifically interested in exploring LibraryThing further as a readers' advisory resource.

Method #11

For this assignment I listened to portions of a podcast titled "Evaluating Online Instructors" offered through the Education Podcast Network. The topic intrigued me since my library science degree was completed almost entirely online. The podcast seemed to focus on the distinction between an online instructor and the online course material and how the distinction should be accounted for when performing evaluations.

At this time the only purpose my library might have to develop podcasts would be as a means of marketing our collection or services, but as of today I'm not sure enough users would be reached to warrant the staff time required to develop and maintain the podcasts.

Method #10

I was somewhat surprised at how many wikis offered an interface almost identical to the Wikipedia interface. I think I expected more customization, but I guess the aesthetics of a wiki are influenced by its purpose and its users.

As I mentioned in my post about tagging, I could see a wiki as more relevant to collaboration between library staff rather than interaction between staff and patrons. Possible uses could include creation of committee reports, supply request lists, book display lists, or weeding statistics.

Method #9

My experience with chat actually began in graduate school as a means to complete a group project for an online class. Communicating as a group via chat was challenging, primarily because of the necessary coordination of schedules for each member of the group to be at a computer at the same time. Sometimes we also experienced a delay or overlap in the flow of conversation due to the timing of when posts were displayed.

At this time my library does not offer chat/IM services, although I think we have in the past. Based on our current user population and my perception of their library usage, I don't think we would have significant reason to resume this service in the near future.

Method #8

In general, I feel very cautious about social networking sites, with privacy being a primary concern. As more and more personal and professional business is conducted online in an environment of constantly changing industry standards and policies, I think consumers will need to exercise alertness as they utilize the potential of online resources. In terms of using social networking tools to promote a library, Twitter seemed to me to be potentially simpler than Facebook. An interesting contrast is presented: patrons who do not have the technology or technological skills to access Twitter would never be reached through Twitter advertising, but Twitter advertising might reach users who would never be reached by more traditional library advertising methods.

Method #7

I could see Delicious particularly as an in-house tool for library staff. As librarians rely on the Internet more and more to answer reference questions, librarians could tag sites used to answer reference questions so that other members of the library team could refer to the same site when asked a similar question.

LibraryThing could be a valuable readers' advisory tool and might even be helpful in generating a list of books for a themed display, such as a display of fiction books set in New England.

Method #6

Comparing YouTube and Teacher Tube, TeacherTube seemed to be cleaner in terms of content but YouTube seemed cleaner in terms of aesthetics and user interface. The above video is from TeacherTube. The video argues for the potential of engaging students through the use of the technology that is already so prevalent in the daily lives of this generation of students. While the video was a little lengthy, I believe some parallels could be drawn between engaging students through technology and engaging library patrons through enhanced technology. For example, to teach a patron how to use download a library ebook to an ebook reader, we could supply the patron with a paper brochure or we could refer them to a YouTube video. Several libraries have already produced instructional YouTube videos on the topic of downloading ebooks and these videos could be recommended to even more patrons by other libraries across the nation.

Method #5

Here is the link to a striking image I found on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chalkbass/2836771004/

On a personal level, I would like to have a backup system for my photos, but I would be inclined to use a more private option like a home server rather than an online photo managament website. On a professional level, photosharing websites might be an interesting option in terms of storage and access to digitized photos from a local history collection.

Method #4

Here are the links to my three RSS feeds:

http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/feed/

http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/feeds/news.xml

http://rss.cnn.com/rss/cnn_allpolitics.rss

The Library of Congress blog and the Cincinnati Library blog both seem to be relevant choices (although the Cincinnati Library doesn't appear to have updated the URL for their RSS feed), and by following these feeds I will have the opportunity to see services and innovations offered by other libraries. The CNN Politics feed should be helpful as I practice collection development in the area of political science.

Overall, RSS feeds seem to be a timesaving tool, allowing the user to customize and streamline his or her information access.

Method #3

As I read the suggested articles, I found myself responding with both excitement and caution to the concept of cloud computing. Becoming familiar with the resources available in the realm of cloud computing will be important if these concepts continue to be fostered by the greater technological community. Knowledge of how to use a tool and discernment in when to use a tool can be a powerful and effective combination. Such knowledge would mesh well with the librarian's role as one who understands how to use tools in the context of accessing information.

Methods 1 and 2

What are your thoughts regarding Web 2.0 and Library 2.0? What do the terms mean to you? To your library? Or libraries in general?

Web 2.0 seems to be a new standard, and the minimum expectation for the younger generation. So the degree to which libraries are included in the culture's mainstream may be directly influenced by the degree to which they meet or exceed the technology standard.

Testing

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