Week #8 Post #18

I took a look around several of the social networking sites. MySpace is visually active, commercialized and youth-orientated. Although FaceBook began as a social networking site for college students, it now states on an opening page that "everyone can use facebook.com". I enjoyed the photos of the animals on dogster.com and catster.com -- particularly the "cat of the week" section on catster. Ratemyspace, an HGTV sponsored site is great for those seeking an overview of the current popular trends in decoration. When I visited the site, it was a little bit more than two weeks out from the Christmas holidays. Thus photos and comments on various home exteriors and interiors that were decorated for the holidays were abundant. I also enjoyed a walk through threadless.com and the various designers stating their thoughts about their clothing designs. It had that final studio presentation feel to it -- sort of edgy, more experimental in a way.

As a professional I understand the social networking concept and the positive side of the argument for people being able to communicate with each other across the city or around the world. Unfortunately not everyone or everything presents us with this ideal. For us in the library these sites present almost a wild frontier quality. We have customers complaining because they can't access their particular social networking site at given times (usually too busy, or initially blocked by our filters). We have other customers objecting to what is displayed on their or another customer's computer monitor (from a social networking site) as being pornographic in content. We read in our professional literature that occasionally governing bodies of libraries in various parts of the country have voted to block the social networking sites from the publicly funded computers. We give classes on Internet security, have various handouts for our customers, and have an area on our website which discusses Internet security.

Week #7 Post #17

I posted a comment on the "Librarians Rule" blog for Week 6 #15 Library 2.0. The blogger addressed the problems with our interior architecture and space planning as we continue in Library 2.0. We need more areas for group study as well as truly private areas for the solo learner. Sound proofing the walls between Reading Rooms would be a start.



Blogging About Technology--



The advancements in technology have always been amazing to me. Twenty-five years ago, I took a job with the Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth as a writer on their TRS-80 Microcomputer News magazine. This was a pre IBM-compatible [remember that term?] environment with Model Is, Model IIs, Color Computers, Pocket Computers and dot-matrix printers that we thought were just the last word in advanced printing. The Internet was in its infancy. CompuServe and AgriStar were services on the Internet which supplied us with various databases.

The editor of the magazine and I would have some spirited conversations. My editor thought that the Internet was going to revolutionize the library world--in that libraries, as we knew them, would soon be closing. I did not hold with that opinion.

Last month I was up in Fort Worth visiting the Amon Carter and Kimbell Museums on related library business for our branch. We are preparing for the opening of the Pearl Fincher Museum and I volunteered to visit the Carter and Kimbell to gain background and purchase some items in their bookstores which would support our displays on painter Frederick Remington and art from the American West. There I sat outside the Kimbell, waiting for the museum to open at noon and for me to get a quick lunch at their fabulous buffet. Where I was sitting afforded me a great view of downtown Fort Worth and the Tandy Towers were I worked twenty-five years ago. I was on my Blackjack cell phone checking my library webmail account. How wonderful is all this!

My editor and I truly could not see twenty-five years into the future. Libraries are very much still with us. Yes we have changed and evolved. We have absorbed the technology and advanced with it for our customers. There are wrinkles, problems and etc. but how much more information can we provide than twenty-five years ago when our computer technology was so new.

Week #7 Post #16

I accessed the iHCPL wiki and created an account. I then posted my blog to the favorite blogs page on the iHCPL wiki. Two notifications from ihcpl.pbwiki.com were then received in my email. I overviewed the sample wikis suggested to us through the associated Discovery Exercise for this unit.

This concept and practice of collaborative knowledge sites does have a place in libraries. It's very good for a quick survey on a topic. This isn't the item you are going to use in a DBQ -- Document Based Question -- exercise. It's another tool we use at the information desk as a starting point or for a review of information (which you understand may not be properly sourced). For exact statistical information or the accuracy of various dates, I would go to another more established (reliable) source.

Week #6 Post #15

I read the five perspectives on Library 2.0 and the Wikipedia article. Based on my experiences, the ones that ring the truest are Michael Stephens' piece on "Into a new world of librarianship" and Dr. Wendy Schultz "To a temporary place in time . . . ".

The successful library is a constantly changing entity. I do not believe that Library 2.0 is somehow so radically different than all the change that has come before it. And it will morph/evolve/absorb into several more generations of Library 3.0 and following as Dr. Schultz states.

Michael Stephens brings a point that I am now beginning to see addressed more in the library as well as design literatures. "This librarian asks what new technologies or new materials users need. This librarian proposes building projects [and I would also think renovation projects] and involves users in designing those places."

It was last week in American Libraries Direct online newsletter that an article appeared from the Educause Quarterly, Number 4 2007 by Bryan Sinclair.

http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/Commons20LibrarySpac/45534

Diana G. Oblinger addresses Learning Commons 2.0 considerations in design and renovation with her work entitled Learning Spaces.

Week #6 Post #14

The Discovery Exercises called for exploring the advanced search by typing "Learning 2.0". In the Keyword Search--Exact Phrase--6,215; Tag Search--1,999; and, Blog Directory Search--551.

I took this further into my design interests. About a year and a half ago the American Society of Interior Designers began a discussion within their body of knowledge concerning "Aging in Place".

http://www.asid.org/knowledge/Aging.htm

Along with sustainable design, they are probably two of the hottest topics in design these days.

I executed the same search as "Learning 2.0" with "Aging in Place". In the Keyword Search--Exact Phrase--57; Tag Search--58; and, Blog Directory Search--11.

The popular blogs, searches and videos were interesting to read. I scanned the top 100 blogs and learned about "Boing Boing". Technorati.com ranks it as the most popular blog in the world. It won the Lifetime Achievement and Best Group Blog awards at the 2006 Bloggies ceremony. And being a news addict, I also enjoyed this section's "Top News".

Week #6 Post #13

The tutorial on this exercise was somewhat disappointing. I have used the del.icio.us/hcplbiblio as part of my reference toolbox where and when appropriate. There is no sense in recreating the wheel, so to speak, in some cases with popularly asked questions at the desk. I created my own del.icio.us account and am currently exploring and tagging some of the more interesting sites dedicated to color. One that is very intriguing is COLOURlovers. The portability of the account is great.

Week #5 Post #12

I've read through the demo and the FAQs of the Library Elf. At this time, I do not think this service would be of any assistance to me. However, individuals checking out materials from several libraries or families having several cards from one or more library systems may find this a convenient form of record keeping.