Some of my favorite things from this course were the Library 2.0 week and the Online Apps/Tools week. For Library 2.0, this was a term I'd heard but never really felt comfortable with. Now I do, and although I still don't think the term is a good representation of the concept, I do like what it stands for. For the Online Apps/Tools week, I had used Google Docs previously and am comfortable with it. But since I had to use a second tool for the exercise, I also looked at Zoho. I discovered I really liked it. I'm sure I'll keep using Google Docs but I did enjoy learning about Zoho and seeing how it worked too. I didn't think that I would like Zoho, so I was pleasantly surprised. Additionally, I was reminded that week how useful these online collaboration tools are when working on documents with others.
This course did help me feel more comfortable with technology. I've taken other courses like this, for Web 2.0 tools. But every time I take new course there is always something new and different that I learn. Sometimes the tools have been improved since I last used them, so taking these kinds of discovery courses helps me keep up to date. One area I definitely feel more comfortable with is blogging. We had to use our blog for a number of different tasks throughout the course and so I definitely feel more comfortable using blog software and leaving comments on other people's blogs.
My unexpected outcome was that I enjoyed following the blogs of some of my friends. I started following them and in Blogger would see their updates when I logged in to Blogger. Since we were often working on the same week's tasks, I would read their posts and add comments. This was something I have rarely done before.
I don't have any suggestions on improving the format, or things that were left out. As usual, time is always an issue so I was very happy that you are giving us until Jan 2 to complete the course and evaluation. My only minor suggestion would be to offer a course that lasted a shorter time. That would give me less of a chance to fall behind. ;-)
I would definitely participate in future discovery projects that the RML might offer! Thank you!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Thing 12 - Library 2.0
I read a couple of the references that discussed Library 2.0. I've heard that term a a number of times, but never really knew who or how it was different from Web 2.0. The few references I read for this assignment all basically said the same thing, so now I feel like I know what the difference is.
Library 2.0 is about making your library's space (both physical and virtual) more attractive & relevant to your users. It doesn't have to involve technology, and that was where I was getting confused. I was thinking that Library 2.0 was just applying Web 2.0 principles to libraries. But its actually much more than that. It is also includes making your physical building more attractive, changing policies, holding events that draw people into your facility, etc.
One of the items I read talked about how they don't like the term Library 2.0 and I would agree with that. I think the term puts too much emphasis on the technology aspect.
But the idea of trying to reach all of your users, even your non-users, is a great one. The idea of continuously evaluating your services is great. The idea of constantly asking your users for feedback is great too. None of these ideas are new, but there is definitely a higher emphasis on these thoughts in Library 2.0.
In the past I was turned off by the term Library 2.0 because I thought it was only focusing on technology and that that was too narrow of a focus. Now I'm more comfortable with the term and so it doesn't annoy me like it used to.
In terms of my library, I think we are already doing a lot of Library 2.0 stuff and don't even know it. We recently moved into a new building and we used user input to design the space. All of our users love the building. We also regularly offer speakers and programming, including exhibits, in the building. We posted our draft strategic plan online and asked for user feedback. And we are getting ready to create an online suggestion board. All of these things fit into the Library 2.0 thinking.
Library 2.0 is about making your library's space (both physical and virtual) more attractive & relevant to your users. It doesn't have to involve technology, and that was where I was getting confused. I was thinking that Library 2.0 was just applying Web 2.0 principles to libraries. But its actually much more than that. It is also includes making your physical building more attractive, changing policies, holding events that draw people into your facility, etc.
One of the items I read talked about how they don't like the term Library 2.0 and I would agree with that. I think the term puts too much emphasis on the technology aspect.
But the idea of trying to reach all of your users, even your non-users, is a great one. The idea of continuously evaluating your services is great. The idea of constantly asking your users for feedback is great too. None of these ideas are new, but there is definitely a higher emphasis on these thoughts in Library 2.0.
In the past I was turned off by the term Library 2.0 because I thought it was only focusing on technology and that that was too narrow of a focus. Now I'm more comfortable with the term and so it doesn't annoy me like it used to.
In terms of my library, I think we are already doing a lot of Library 2.0 stuff and don't even know it. We recently moved into a new building and we used user input to design the space. All of our users love the building. We also regularly offer speakers and programming, including exhibits, in the building. We posted our draft strategic plan online and asked for user feedback. And we are getting ready to create an online suggestion board. All of these things fit into the Library 2.0 thinking.
Thing 11 - Podcasting
I checked out a few of the podcast directories. In general, they were pretty hard to use to find anything good, unless you already knew what you were looking for.
Podcast Alley - I had the best luck with this directory. Although it was pretty difficult to browse a list of titles. Searching by keyword was your only option. I noticed there seemed to be a lot of alternative medicine titles. I did find a podcast to subscribe to - MedPod101. It teaches a different topic from Internal Medicine in each podcast.
Podfeed.net - This directory seemed better, in terms of finding things. And I liked the tag feature too. However, after browsing for awhile it looks like all of the podcasts in this directory are made by individuals. I didn't see anything from an "authority", like the CDC, or an association, or a society. I again saw lots of podcasts on alternative medicine, as wells a dieting and sex. I also noticed a feature where you could pay to have your podcast moved to the top of the list.
Yahoo Podcasts - I looked at this only briefly because when I was doing searches, everything that was coming back was music. So I got tired of trying to get past the music results and I just gave up.
Podcast Alley - I had the best luck with this directory. Although it was pretty difficult to browse a list of titles. Searching by keyword was your only option. I noticed there seemed to be a lot of alternative medicine titles. I did find a podcast to subscribe to - MedPod101. It teaches a different topic from Internal Medicine in each podcast.
Podfeed.net - This directory seemed better, in terms of finding things. And I liked the tag feature too. However, after browsing for awhile it looks like all of the podcasts in this directory are made by individuals. I didn't see anything from an "authority", like the CDC, or an association, or a society. I again saw lots of podcasts on alternative medicine, as wells a dieting and sex. I also noticed a feature where you could pay to have your podcast moved to the top of the list.
Yahoo Podcasts - I looked at this only briefly because when I was doing searches, everything that was coming back was music. So I got tired of trying to get past the music results and I just gave up.
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