Week 6...#13..Tagging, Part 2

Discovery Exercise 1:

HA! I only have to read the article article by Thomas Vander Wal on the origin of the word “folksonomy” and the role he played in coining the term...I don't have to blog about it! Yay!

...and I've officially reached my exclamation point quota for today...

Discovery Exercise 2:

Silly me, I tried searching vespa again. The tag cloud was predictably small, and a bit odd (community colleges , japanese, public welfare, and secret service, huh?). Not very effective in this instance. Since I obviously have a one-track mind as of recent, I decided my next search would be on wasps. Vespa is Italian (I think) for wasp, and the Vespa scooter was thus named because of its likeness in shape to wasps, the buzzing, flying, stinging, insect that is ever so abundant in my office during the summer months. This tag cloud was much more interesting, and I can definitely see how it could help a student narrow down (or broaden out) to the specific information he/she seeks. For example, the tag cloud produced by searching wasps would allow a student who was looking for the insect to pinpoint that information, while also allowing a student seeking more information on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (the Freshman First Year Book, Mercury 13, includes some interesting footnotes about this group) or White Anglo Saxon Protestants to pinpoint that information.

I don't teach classes...yet. I can imagine that this would be an interesting way for students to discover and dig deeper into a topic of interest (or a topic forced upon them by an instructor).

Discovery Exercise 3:

del.icio.us could definitely be a useful tool. Personally, I spend my time at no fewer than four computers (1-3 at work, one desktop at home, one laptop at home, one desktop at my parents, and any number of computers on UK's campus). Being able to access all my favorites from any of these computers, not having that information tied to one, physical locale? Well, that seems like a great idea. Of course, while I have played with del.icio.us, I have not REALLY put it (or my use of it) to the test, yet. We'll see how things go...will I or won't I use it? Only time will tell.

For teaching a class? Well, see my comments on how it benefits me personally, and change those personal sites to class/subject related sites that I trust and frequent, often depending on the class/subject at hand. Now those sites are not tied to my laptop (which could go on the fritz or have a low battery) or the classroom computer...any computer with a connection will suffice. Plus, I can share that information with my students. My students can share sites with each other if they are working on a group project/paper. So, yeah, I guess it could be useful. Of course, I don't teach...yet.

As for how it benefits the library...if it benefits our patrons, the chances are good that it will benefit us. Granted, the idea and the way our patrons use it may not be library-specific, but why not let them know it's available and that it is an easy way that they can check all their favorite sites from any computer, home, dorm, lab, library, etc...

Discovery Exercise 4:

Checked out technorati...found my blog (had to dig just a bit)...so I'm done.

Week 6...#12...Tagging!

EXERCISE 1:

Okay, let's do this step-by-step.

1. Go to Google and type in a topic that interests you. See how many hits you retrieve.

About 10,800,000 for Vespa.

2. Do the same keyword search in eQuest and see how many hits you retrieve.

Two hits for Vespa.

3. Now search for the topic as a subject (or author if it is an author) in eQuest.

Ummm...nothing.

Google gave me lots and lots of Vespa specific hits (and I'm sure there are some not-so-relevant hits in the mix). An eQuest keyword search resulted in a grand total of two hits, while a subject search gave me nada. Of course, our library is an academic one. Maybe if I had chosen something else...anyway, now the rest of the exercise:

1. Can you see a parallel between the catalog and tagging in Web. 2.0?

Sure, there is a parallel of some sort there... although my own search was not necessarily the best example.

2. Do you think tagging is a reinvention of library cataloging? Or, do you think that tagging is a continuation of tradition of library catalogs, but an expansion of that tradition into new and exciting possibilities?

I am not really sure. I can definitely see how tagging is useful/helpful/necessary, but I am not entirely sure whether I would consider it to be a reinvention or expansion of traditional library cataloguing. I'm leaning towards an expansion...or maybe neither...

3. Or, do you see another angle to tagging?

I have no idea.

EXERCISE 2:

1. Review the tags in your blog, in Flickr and in Library Thing. Think about the terms you have used.

I have not made good use of tagging in any of these venues; in fact, I have not tagged ANY of my blog entries!

Having learned a little more about tagging, consider changing your tags to make them more searchable.

Yep. I should definitely do that.

You may even want to add more tags. For instance, in case you haven’t noticed, Flickr allows up to 75 tags per photo. Please don’t be like the cataloger writing these words who learned that in traditional cataloging 1 to 3 subject headings are enough.

Again, I should do that.

Go wild with your tags if you want to.

Woot!

Add a few words to your blog about the joys of tagging.

Geez. I don't know yet. Tagging is GREAT! Okay, it is obvious that I have never truly catalogued anything in my whole life, and, if you go to my LibraryThing shelf, you can see the wonders of my tagging. I'm still out on all of this; I can see how it's useful and necessary, but I don't know what else to write. I absolutely understand that it would be hard to find the stuff I want if it had no tags. Additionally, I'm sure we are all familiar with how the language of the patron often differs from that of controlled vocabularies; often, our patrons do not use the same terms that our controlled vocabulary dictates, so user-based tagging would definitely be neat and/or helpful in some instances. Then, on the other side, willy-nilly tagging across the board could lead to some wild times. So tagging vs. controlled vocabularies...do we like it?...do we hate it?...control/no control...bad/good...does it really have to be an either/or situation? I think the University of Pennsylvania has a very interesting idea with their PennTags. User added content in addition to all the things we *know* and *love* about libraryland...not too shabby!

Week Five/Play Week: #11

The second lesson of Week Five/Play Week introduced me to an interesting little thing called Rollyo. Essentially, Rollyo is a searching tool that allows you to create your own personal search engines (teehee...roll your own...) with no programming required. You just name your search, list your preferred sites to search (up to twenty-five) , and Rollyo creates a little custom search engine for you. If you have no clue what/where you would like to search, Rollyo has created a list, or "starter kit," of Searchrolls that can be personalized by adding and/or deleting sites. You can create a Searchroll just for yourself, or you can "share the wealth" and make your Searchroll public, allowing others to use and benefit from it. You can create as many Searchrolls as you like, in addition to saving and editing (and thus "claiming for your own") the Searchrolls of others.

Inspired by a shopping Searchroll, I "rolled my own" search and created a Searchroll that will allow me to search a few sites that I trust enough to purchase snowboard gear from; I thought that this Searchroll could help me find out who has what without actually visiting these sites one by one. Here...have a look. I also added my Searchroll to my blog using the "Create a Searchbox" tool, per the Optional Discovery Exercise.

Kind of nifty...or so I thought. The problem comes in when I performed a search for Burton Stow Cargo Pants, an item I picked because I know at least a couple of the sites I chose for my roll carry these pants. I got 809 hits (from the five or six sites in my search), with the first three pages being the same site/same pant. Hmm...nifty, huh? Maybe it just doesn't work so well for shopping, or maybe I need to explore a bit more. I'm not giving up, but I'm not quite sure how useful Rollyo and Searchrolls could be based on my very limited--and not so shiny--experience.

I do think that, while maybe Rollyo isn't working for me, I will show it to some of our education majors. I know one of our student workers always returns to the same few sites for lesson plans, and I think Rollyo may prove useful to her. She could create a Searchroll for just those sites she trusts, and she would not be bombarded with thousands and thousands of hits in a search engine like Google, but she would also be spared the time it would take to search each of those sites individually. Maybe she could also use it in the classroom later...who knows!

Week Five/Play Week: #10

Discovery Exercise #1: LibraryThing

LibraryThing is definitely an interesting thing. It is also pretty simple, quick, and painless to use. I have created an account, added a few books to my shelf, tagged (don't laugh...I admittedly did not put much thought in this) them a bit....all very interesting, but I am not sure whether I will keep up with LibraryThing on my own, post-Learning 2.0. As with many of the other Web 2.0 tools we have investigated, the social side or aspect of LibraryThing is the most interesting thing about LibraryThing. It is neat to see who owns what you own (especially when the number is small...one of my books is "owned" by two other peeps), and the "real person" reviews are interesting/helpful/funny, and the reading recommendations also seem pretty good. Of course, you also can see all these neat tag clouds for books in LibraryThing, and it is definitely interesting to see how people tag certain books, especially in terms of the most common, least common, and most unusual tags. Maybe when I get home and do a bit more exploring in my collection, I will find more uses for LibraryThing. For now, I find it more interesting to explore other people's collections.



Discovery Exercise #2: Web2List

Umm...wow. That is a lot of stuff! While there were many, many applications/sites listed in Web2List that I was not familiar with, I noticed a few that I was familiar with, including quite a few of the Web 2.0 tools or applications we are working with in Learning 2.0. Blogger was there...Amazon...LOTS of MySpace and Facebook look-alikes...I was happy to see BookCrossing listed. As for applications that may be useful in our roles as educators and library employees, I guess it would be a cop-out to say meebo.com, but other than that, I am not so sure. The list itself is a bit overwhelming, but I guess that is a testament to the growth and popularity of Web 2.0.

Week Four - Finding Feeds...or what I did last time.

Let's see...when I created my Google Reader account, I added some sites I already visit along with a few of the sites suggested by others (some by using the feed icon on the page), and used the browse feature. I also organized everything into descriptively named folders...yippee! The only thing left to do in Discovery Exercise #1 is check out some search tools....

....check!

I goofed off a bit with each of the suggested search tools, but to be honest I found very few feeds to add this way. It isn't that the tools don't "work." I'm sure that, for the most part, they definitely do. To be honest, I was not truly looking to add feeds while I was trying these tools out for a few reasons: 1. I added WAY too many feeds during the first part of this set of exercises, and may need to scale back; 2. I added many of my feeds through way of my other feeds (i.e. suggested sites); and 3. I added the rest based on what other trusted/admired librarians (some of whom I know in real life, some not) are reading. For now, I feel much more comfortable trusting others in terms of finding "professional/informative" blogs/sites than I trust my own searching, visiting, evaluating, and choosing. Some may call it lazy, but...okay, maybe it is lazy! However, until I get a bit more comfortable, I think I will keep it this way.

It appears that I am getting much better at keeping it short and sweet.

Week Four: Make it "really simple" with RSS & Newsreader

This week's Discovery Exercises promised to "make life 'Really Simple' with RSS and a Newsreader." Discovery exercise numero uno suggested that I watch another video from commoncraft, "RSS in Plain English." This video is another great one, and I love the style/format of these "in Plain English" videos.

Although I have known about RSS for a while now, I never seriously considered signing up for an account. I just didn't think I visited enough sites to warrant one; however, after creating a Google Reader account (Discovery Exercise #2 - check) and subscribing to some feeds (Discovery Exercise #3 - check), I quickly began to realize that I visit WAY more websites than I realized. At first, I just added news and a few sites I visit for fun or giggles. Next, I thought that I should probably include a few library/librarian related blogs, since I have been actively attempting to add more of such sites to my daily Internet rounds since being admitted to the SLIS. Before I realized it, I had tons of feeds! That's when I started to wonder just how much time I had been wasting visiting these sites, especially on days when there was nothing new to see. This is going to save much time and energy. Then again, I added quite a few new sites, ones that I had not been visiting. Now I wonder if I will be saving time by not wondering out to all of my usual sites one by one, or if I have made my site reading more time consuming by adding new sites. Hmm...I guess only time will tell. I can always delete a few.

I promised myself last posting that my next posting would be shorter, so I think I'll keep that promise...I have some feeds to read anyway!

Week Three: More Flickr Fun

i love you (some more)
Originally uploaded by niznoz

For Week Three's second Discovery Exercise, I got to explore some of the Flickr mashups and third party tools. I really liked the Flickr Color Pickr...very pretty and it actually works. I wanted to like the mosaic maker Montagr...and I probably would like it if it would work....grrr! After fighting with Montagr for a bit, I moved on to another interesting sounding application/mashup, which also did not work, but I won't name any names...

*cough...Associatr....cough*

So, this is a picture I found via the Experimental Graffiti Colr Pickr, brought to us by the same individual as the Flickr Color Pickr (Jim Bumgardner). It is pretty, I like it, and I am tired of trying to get anything else to work.

Week Three: Flickr Photo Fun

Burger Boy Signage
Originally uploaded by pjchmiel

For Week Three's Discovery Exercise, we were presented with two fun Flickr options: find an interesting image in Flickr and blog and blog about it, or create a free Flickr account and use a digital camera to upload a few pictures of something going on in the library and blog about that. I had every intention of actually setting up a Flickr account and taking some pics in the library, but I kept forgetting to bring my camera to work. I even skipped over this week and moved on to Rollyo, LibraryThing, and such, but I cannot seem to make it to work with my camera. Since I really want to finally catch up and actually be on the same page as everyone else, I have broken down, given up, and decided to blog about an image I found on Flickr not of my own making.

For those of you who do not know me well, you probably do not know that my hubby and I are in love with vintage Vespas (an Italian scooter...I should probably include a pic of a Vespa here). Through exploring a fellow scooter enthusiast's Flickr account (I was looking for pics of a recent Scooter Rally I attended), I discovered that this guy went on a little road trip to my old neck of the woods, and had several photos from areas I consider to be home. This pic made me feel a bit nostalgic. The restaurant belonging to this sign is in London, KY. It may not be "home" to me in the purest definition of the word, but London was "the place to go" for teens in Clay County when I was a teen in Clay County. I passed by this sign many, many times....

Week Two - Episode Two, or "Look out Facebook...here I am!"

I finally broke down and created my Facebook profile. A few months back, I received a friend invite and group invite (I hope I am using the right Facebook terminology), but I ignored both. I did not know the person who invited me, and I was not interested in joining Facebook. So, when I joined up yesterday, the friend and group invites were both sitting in my account...waiting for me to make a move. I ignored them both...at least at first.

After discovering that adding a friend was virtually painless (thanks, CJ!), I decided to explore my one and only network...then I began to feel a little lonely and inadequate...one network...one friend...pretty sad, don't you think? Especially when Facebook announces your new connection with a "Such-and-Such and Such-and-Such are now friends" announcement...exactly what were we before?! Oh, well...small complaints.

So, I checked out the lady who befriended me, noticed we did actually share a common real life "friend," and decided she appeared to be harmless....so I accepted her friend request and sent her a quick "nice to meet you" message (btw: I think I like the email feature in Facebook). I also joined the group she invited me to join. With two friends and a group under my belt, I explored my network and added a friend from my non-virtual world. He's living in another state, and we rarely get to see/speak with each other, so it was exciting to get to see his photo albums and get tidbits of information about what is going on in his life.

I definitely think that I will continue to use Facebook after Learning 2.0 ends. I have already witnessed how it can help me keep up long-distance friendships, and, let's face it, long-distance friendships are becoming more and more common in our world. Plus, it just seems sort of neat and fun. As I have admitted before, I enjoy small glimpses into the lives of others, and have been lurking in MySpace to "get my fix" for a few months. Now that I am officially in Facebook, I can "get the fix" without the guilt.

As for imagining how libraries can use Facebook, I am not sure. It seems as if they could use Facebook in much the same way they are using MySpace: to communicate with and/or inform patrons about programs, services, hours, changes, and so on, and so on... Additionally, it probably does humanize a library and its staff just a bit. I would also like to say that I found it interesting to see how students are using Facebook, especially when they are using it for something other than socializing with friends. For example, I noticed in the EKU network that students were communicating with the entire network about the freshman book, along with asking open questions about what types of supplies to bring to campus, how certain dorms "stack up," roommate requests...etc... I found the questions about dorm room set-up and supplies to be very interesting because this is information that can be found on EKU's website, yet the students are asking each other. Don't we all do that? Most of us would prefer to get this type of information from someone we know, or at least from another human being who has experience, rather than from an institution/corporation--or at least, that's what my LIS classes are teaching me! Facebook is obviously giving students a tool to "ask someone who knows" on a much larger scale than may be possible in their own "real world" environments.

I've got to start writing shorter posts...must have more time for adding friends, adding applications, writing on the wall, poking people....

Learning 2.0 - Week Two

Here I am embarking on Week Two of Learning 2.0...several weeks behind schedule. Ah, the story of my life! The lesson for this week introduces us to social networking, and gives us two choices for our Discovery Activity. Of course, while I may be terribly behind, I am still a bit of an overachiever, so I did both. Yay, me!

As for the video "Social Networking in Plain English": I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this video (go hunt it down on YouTube, if you are so inclined). I loved the storyboard approach, and I have to admit that it was actually enlightening, too. I may finally be convinced that social networking sites serve worthwhile purposes, rather than merely being vehicles for kiddies, teens, and those who wish they were still teens to chat, flirt, and flame. Quite frankly, if I plan on being the "best librarian I can be" (great...that's just as cheesy on the screen as it was in my head!) in the near future, I may want to consider breaking out of my shell and reaching out to librarians and other information professionals outside the walls of my library. Social networking may allow me to do that in ways that would be virtually impossible in the "real" or non-virtual world. The video is right; connections are definitely easier to see in these virtual networks.

As for MySpace, I have admitted to lurking around in that world, looking at old highschool classmates, people from back home, and the such...basically, doing to others the exact same thing that has caused me to be hesitant about actually creating my own profile. I would probably do the same in Facebook, if I could do so without creating my own profile. So, while I may not be a technophobe, I am apparently a hypocrite. At the very least, I can say, with a little bit of confidence, that I do not believe that MySpace is the social networking site for me. I just find it a bit abrasive and, honestly, kind of ugly sometimes. Of course, I am sure it has its benefits, but I think I will pass.

Before venturing into Learning 2.0, I asked a librarian, "So, exactly how could libraries use social networking sites to reach or help their patrons?" After actually making my self check out some libraries in MySpace, her answer was right on the mark. It seems that many of these libraries may truly be connecting with patrons, and they are definitely able to advertise programs/hours/etc...and get that information straight to users who may or may not check a library's "official" website. For example, one library communicated that the library was open and ready for business after a storm...this message may have reached many patrons in MySpace well before it would in any other "traditional" format. In many ways, being able to post such messages on MySpace allows libraries to (in a way) inform patrons on an individual basis...much like calling or emailing each of them personally, without actually having to call or email anyone individually....neat!

Unlike last week, I read ahead this week, so I know that I am about to create that much delayed/feared profile. Thankfully, it will be in Facebook rather than MySpace, which is sort of an assault on the senses at the very least. I mean, I know we would all love to have our own personal theme song, but that doesn't mean that everyone (and their third cousins twice removed) wants to have said song suddenly blasting from their speakers every time they want to post a hello in your MySpace comments...geez. Of course, while MySpace may not be my ideal space, I am considering creating a profile for my karate instructor/class...that may get more attention from the locals in Mt. Vernon than any other advertising venue we try.

So, until next time, I'll see you in Facebook!

Learning 2.0 - Week One, or why it is sometimes important to read ahead...

So here I am...blogging. Hmmm...what now?!

Oh, yeah. Week one...step three...Discovery Exercise: "Once you have created your blog, create a post and enter the notes that you took after you watched the video "Web 2.0: the machine is us/ing us.""

Wow. I really should start reading ahead. I watched "Web 2.0: the machine is us/ing us." Actually, I watched it a couple of times before beginning EKU Libraries Learning 2.0. I swear. No, really. In fact, I think it was earlier this year...or last year...maybe? Sadly, however, I did not jot down notes during any of those viewings. Of course, if only I had read ahead...

Anyway. This video is definitely a well crafted testament of/to Web 2.0; I believe that it definitely speaks of/to this thing(s) we call Web 2.0. It is engaging, exciting, interesting, and so on...and so on...all the things that Web 2.0 is to many (though not all). I was especially intrigued with the video's ending statements about rethinking...well...everything, and, most importantly, rethinking the human component and its place in this new (is it really new?) thing/idea/revolution/insert your own term....and I guess that is where I enter.

Up to now, I have been on the Web 2.0 fence, or maybe I have been lurking in the shadows of Web 2.0. Should I, or shouldn't I? Will I, or won't I? It isn't that I am (gasp!) a technophobe... heaven forbid! I love technology! I love the Internet! I love Web 2.0!

Okay, calming down.

While I am definitely pro-technology/pro-Web 2.0, especially in terms of learning how Web 2.0 and the tools associated with it can help me help my patrons, help myself, and help my colleagues/coworkers, I have been decidedly anti-participatory. Sure, I volunteered for IM reference services, but would I have volunteered if the lady in charge of IM wasn't the lady in charge of me? I hope so, but I am not sure. I LOVE to browse photos on Flickr, but, put my own photos on Flickr? Uh-uh. I lurk about in myspace from time to time, and would do the same in facebook if I could, but set up an account on one of those social networking sites? No way! I LOVE to read blogs, but I did NOT want to write blogs...and I still don't.

Which brings me to the title of this blog I am writing...this is all about trying new things...about becoming more comfortable...about becoming more informed...about becoming more helpful...about becoming more accessible/approachable in more ways/formats...about rethinking myself. I do not want to pass judgment on any technology/Web 2.0 tool that comes my way without first giving it a go...and "giving it a go" should by definition include more than being voyeuristic...isn't Web 2.0 at its very essence about communication/participation/sharing/contributing/collaborating? So, what better way to get started "rethinking me" than with this Learning 2.0 project, right?

At least I am among friends. So...guys...girls....help me rethink me.