Thing #12 IM and VBPL

I have been a part of the IM reference service here at VBPL since we "went live" a few months back. Given the soft opening of the library's IM service the patrons have been few. Questions are similar to what you would receive in person or over the phone except for the occasional query regarding the possiblity that you may be a robot. I assure them I am of flesh and blood and the dialogue continues. I enjoy the often casual tone of these exchanges and marvel at the shorthand used by the IM-savvy patron. Although I too would like to lessen the keystrokes I retain the professional standard and reply in complete sentences.

Are libraries and IM a good mix? This is a question that is long past its prime. Many libraries have been using this service for years and though new to our system IM is a proven alternate mode of communication between patron and staff. We are a careful library system and wait until many other libraries are using a given technology before we dip our toes into the stream. Yes the water is fine, feel free to wade in.

Thing #11 IM and Libraries

Instant Messaging is real-time communication via the internet. Naturally libraries have become interested in this format because IM offers the patron a different avenue to have a conversation with the library staff. And if you use a service like Meebo the cost is nonexistent. The only difficulty is finding willing staff who want to make the leap into the sometimes volatile waters of the IM arena.

And though the format may be a little strange for the newcomer its quite easy with a little practice. Give it a go!

Class Video

This video is a class assignment I recently completed and my first attempt at integrating, voice, sound effects, images and music. I'm pleased but I know there are parts that can be improved.

Thing #10 Let's go find some feeds!

Technorati is a blog hotspot. Want to find a post on a certain subject or browse the hot blog topics? Technorati is a good place to be. You can also register your own blog with this site, adding a description and tags to help bring your site more traffic. While searching around I noticed that you can also find related videos that touch on your topic of choice.

Topix.net: Too happening of a place for me. There must be about a thousand different clickable places on the frontpage alone! Though if you are really interested in people's comments about a certain popular topic you can chime in with your own thoughts and engage in thoughtful debate. Or be cyber-bullied. Either way something is always going on here at Topix.

Most of the feeds I subscribe to I have found through other people's blogs. Here's how it works. First you find a site where the content sits well with you. This could be a library blog or World of Warcraft website, anything that may interest you. If it is a blog then the author has probably put in their sidebar some of the other blogs they like to read. Most likely you will find some other sites that appeal to you. Alternatively you can look at the comments on a post and check out people's sites who have left intriguing feedback. Subscribe away!

Thing #9 Google Reader

A little over a year ago at the VLA Conference in Williamsburg I attended a session where one of the speakers first introduced me to RSS. I let the information percolate in my brain for about a month before opening up a Bloglines account. Using the search feature in Bloglines I discovered different websites of interest that offered RSS and I started subscribing. Ten became twenty and the more I read the more I found sites that could be subscribed to. Librarian blogs, writer blogs, news and sports feeds: anything that I might check out by surfing the web could be conveniently kept in one place. My web of interest could be condensed into one site and I would no longer have to bookmark a site in order to find it again.

Fast forward to now and a few things have changed. I now use Google Reader. Two reasons for that. First I found that Bloglines was making mistakes and marking some items as read when I had not read them. Annoying but I've heard that the new version has taken care of that problem. Second is the ability to integrate Google Reader into my Google homepage. Rather than having to log into my Reader account I can place a smaller version on my Google homepage and read articles right off of the screen. Here's a screenshot of my homepage: (Notice Google Reader on the left hand side)Click to enlarge.



Keeping one internet window open (my homepage) I can scan through any articles available by subscription through my Google Reader. Have I lost you? No worries, send me an email and I can help. Or jump right in and explore: it is all free and you can't hurt anything. If you get frustrated, leave it for now and right a spicy blog post about the ridiculousness of this exercise.

If you do get the hang of it you might find that the internet becomes a little more personalized and easier to access. Its been a little less than a year since I first experimented with RSS and now I couldn't imagine navigating the web without it.

I am not going to share my complete blogroll here and instead offer you recent articles I have shared through Google Reader. They can be found to the right under "Articles of Interest". Enjoy!

Thing #6 #7 and #8-Weblog Setup

The logistics for setting up a blog are complete! Almost a third of the way done to MP3 heaven and downloadable audiobooks. Just curious, has anyone ever taken advantage of the Netlibrary downloadables?

Thing #5-Share Your Thoughts With a Friend

Dear friend,

Have you got a minute? I keep hearing about this web two point o and I'm wondering if you too have heard this phrase bandied about. Promises of patron-rich experiences and cutting-edge technologies all free right now if only you log on and explore. Personally I like the web a whole lot more than a few years ago. I couldn't even imagine putting content on a web page back then--the code beyond my reach or interest. Now I type into a box just like I'm writing a document. A couple of clicks on the old mouse and boom a picture appears or my favorite Youtube video. Even better folks just like me can leave comments on these words and I can respond in kind. Virtual communication barriers fall away with the rise of the non-techies. Shall we join in the party?

Thing #4: Library 2.0 and Web 2.0

Yes my head is in the clouds after reading some of the articles for this week's discovery exercises. Lots of ideas and possibilities are presented by the different librarians and even a futurist. Some of my thoughts on Library 2.0:

Big shifts are happening technologically but the services provided by the library will always be driven by the human interaction. Libraries can blog or provide IM reference as communication extensions to the community. Designing friendlier catalogs with tagging features will enable patrons to more easily navigate and personalize our collection. We allow the patron into our library 24 hours a day and explore non-traditional library activities (i.e. gaming) to attract a new generation of patrons. We change because we recognize that innovation keeps our library vital and vibrant.

At the same time we continue to provide the traditional library services that the patrons demand. We check books in and out and keep an up-to-date collection of materials that appeal to the community interests. We store knowledge in hard-copy and virtual formats in order to give access to the greatest breadth of resources. We say hello when a patron comes into the building and provide the best customer service we can. We do the best we can as individuals while taking into account that our life at the library is only an aspect of our being.

Library 2.0 is finding the balance between changing technologies and traditional library services. When we are understaffed, overworked, or just plain uninterested--how do we find the time to explore blogs, wikis, IM and social networking? Can anyone say free MP3 player? ^-^