Springshare Web 2.0 Library Guides are basically a solution for libraries that want to draw together many of the Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 tools available in an easy, user-friendly manner. Springshare seems to suit academic and school libraries best, as the main feature of Springshare is the Library Guides which aid students in their research, however there are many other useful interactive features that would suit a public library too.
Users can rate each library guide which is great to get user input and track usage. You can add librarian profiles which might help to personalise the library and add a human face to the library online. There is also inbuilt reporting functionality. This video illustrates many of the features
LibGuides Intro from Springshare on Vimeo. The downside is that Springshare isn't free, unlike many Web 2.0 tools, but at around US $800 or so, it is probably worth the (annual) cost. This is especially the case where the library (such as a public library) might be short of programmers: Springshare is so easy to use and does not require any programming skills to add content and functionality - it's just point and click stuff. There are free open sources equivalents however they seem to require greater IT knowledge to set up and maintain. Perhaps a public library version of Springshare might not be too far away (and less expensive). The Burlington County Library System is an example of a public library in the USA that is using Springshare and has 62 library guides!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
ereading@your.library.now
Ahh more bad titles.
Anyway I've been researching the use of online books and ereading services and devices, and came across a nice blog that is keeping tabs on the very subject. I'm currently supposed to be looking into Overdrive for our library but thought I better do some research first to get some actual user feedback form those in the know more than me about it category.
In this review at Teleread they reviewed Overdrive and Fictionwise e-lending libraries which you can read about here. It goes through the pros and cons of both systems and the experience a user has with each when browsing, borrowing and returning titles. Props of course go the wonderful convenience of being able to quickly access hundreds of titles quickly and relatively easy, but slops go to the DRM system that is not yet fully compatible with every ones mobile readers, at least for the moment.
Still, it is definitely an area of lending that all libraries consider as society moves further into portable digital technology.
Anyway I've been researching the use of online books and ereading services and devices, and came across a nice blog that is keeping tabs on the very subject. I'm currently supposed to be looking into Overdrive for our library but thought I better do some research first to get some actual user feedback form those in the know more than me about it category.
In this review at Teleread they reviewed Overdrive and Fictionwise e-lending libraries which you can read about here. It goes through the pros and cons of both systems and the experience a user has with each when browsing, borrowing and returning titles. Props of course go the wonderful convenience of being able to quickly access hundreds of titles quickly and relatively easy, but slops go to the DRM system that is not yet fully compatible with every ones mobile readers, at least for the moment.
Still, it is definitely an area of lending that all libraries consider as society moves further into portable digital technology.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Computer loans the way of the future?
Hello again teamsters, I was once again perusing my bloglines when I came across this wonderful article on the downsizing of the the computer to a level which may even see the lending of them basking in the radiant glean of happy patrons LCD illuminated faces. I for one am waiting for the merging of the portable computer and phone into the one actually functional item, rather than a device with some of the capabilities of the other. My kinsman from Anaheim Mr. Douglas wrote an great collection of words,sentences and paragraphs on the subject The Mobile Computer Lab. Great stuff and as always, you should read it if you somehow found your way to read this.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Can We Be Friends?
Sorry can't resist another post, but was reading up on yet another blog and its a nice follow up to one I mentioned earlier. I was particularly interested as it involved just how can a library, which is often an extended branch of a council body, be your friend? Good 'ol Mr King has thrown up some good suggestions and thrown out some old preconceptions with how a library can interact with the public online, with his posts Attracting Friends parts one and two. Well worth the read if you have the time.
Keith.
Keith.
Computer Training or Taming?
Forgive the title, I was at a low point with my wit. But anyway the reason for it to be read aright is that I have been busy the past month or two perusing Australian library websites in an attempt to find how much they are using emerging technology, and how they are passing these benefits on to users in the community. This locating information is where the taming aspect of the title comes in, where as some are more compliant with your requests, others require a little more coaxing to divulge the information required.
So after my analysing of whats on offer, it would seem that the majority of Libraries are content to offer basic courses running from introductory computer lessons, through to browsing the internet, word processing, and email. These I feel are always going to be a necessary component of any computer assistance that you offer, whether it be a one on one consultation, or a group class booking.
Some Libraries are taking it a step further, Such as Yarra Plenty in Victoria, Brisbane City Library in Queensland and Sutherland Library in New South Wales to mention a few exemplary forerunners. They have continued the learning experience with value added courses that provide skills using technology in everyday lives, such as digital photography & scrap booking, Social Networking, Vodcasting and pod casting to mention a few.
But then I thought 'how does one run all of this?' I found a great article from Tame the Web: Ten Tips for Technology Training. Sure its a little old, but I do like the ideas that it suggests, not to make it a rigid structure but to have fun with the learning process, and to always keep a keen eye out for new ways to improve content. It's definitely something to think about when implementing new courses. This is reinforced by some succinct comments on David Lee King's blog.
So after my analysing of whats on offer, it would seem that the majority of Libraries are content to offer basic courses running from introductory computer lessons, through to browsing the internet, word processing, and email. These I feel are always going to be a necessary component of any computer assistance that you offer, whether it be a one on one consultation, or a group class booking.
Some Libraries are taking it a step further, Such as Yarra Plenty in Victoria, Brisbane City Library in Queensland and Sutherland Library in New South Wales to mention a few exemplary forerunners. They have continued the learning experience with value added courses that provide skills using technology in everyday lives, such as digital photography & scrap booking, Social Networking, Vodcasting and pod casting to mention a few.
But then I thought 'how does one run all of this?' I found a great article from Tame the Web: Ten Tips for Technology Training. Sure its a little old, but I do like the ideas that it suggests, not to make it a rigid structure but to have fun with the learning process, and to always keep a keen eye out for new ways to improve content. It's definitely something to think about when implementing new courses. This is reinforced by some succinct comments on David Lee King's blog.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Localising your Socialising
So we had our Technovisionaries meeting today and I feel that I have been goaded from my place in the real world to give my virtual persona some airing. Anyway today I was discussing the latest technological developments the Victorian state of Australia has been implementing to improve the lives of our southern brethren.
A big point of interest was the amount of blogs that were popping and a cropping up. Some even sported blogs for each individual library. Whilst this may give direct users a more pertinent source of information to access, the overlap of information across the branches surely would outweigh this. And to add to Bambino's post on the 1% rule, David Lee King Had an interesting point to make with how libraries are creating their own networks online, titled Don't Friend Me!.
A big point of interest was the amount of blogs that were popping and a cropping up. Some even sported blogs for each individual library. Whilst this may give direct users a more pertinent source of information to access, the overlap of information across the branches surely would outweigh this. And to add to Bambino's post on the 1% rule, David Lee King Had an interesting point to make with how libraries are creating their own networks online, titled Don't Friend Me!.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Faces of the Library Staff @ CML
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsphotos/2762091681/
Originally uploaded by mstephens7
Innovative idea from and American Library
LibraryThing for Technovisionaries
I have today created a LibraryThing library for Technovisionaries and added the titles suggested at our last meeting, as well as some others I thought might be of interest. Will need to add the LibraryThing widget to the blog layout in order to display the titles. If anyone reads any of these titles, please rate the title on the LibraryThing account and add tags if desired. Feel free to add other relevant titles. Access info to the LibraryThing account will be advised!
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Edublog Awards
The Edublog Awards polls the best library/librarian blogs each year. I checked out a couple of these for any ideas we could use:
Hey Jude had a piece (18 September 2008) on using virtual worlds and virtual interfaces to repackage learning opportunities for students. It's important to remember how popular these virtual environments are with young people in particular. Virtual worlds such as Second Life offer various courses, which might be an avenue for the library to reach those who either are not aware of the library and its services and resources, or are unable to physically get to the libary at particular times (or at all) to attend a course or event. A great Australian library blog is Kathryn Greenhill's "Librarians Matter".
Another great librarian blog, which I am sure is well-known by all is Terry Ballard's "Librarian On The Edge" blog. It's packed with great items and lots of great-looking graphics and photos. In a posting from 2 July 2008, Terry mentions his encounter with the WebJunction folks at a national library conference.
Somehow came across StoryTubes which offers children the oppportunity to "Be the star of your own movie! Tell about a favorite book by creating an online video." The competition is also open to teenagers and adults. Check out some of the winning videos at StoryTubes!
I am considering taking the plunge into SL to investigate virtual world libraries and how we might be able to use the concept here. Here's an item about them entitled "Virtual Worlds" located through the Library Success wiki site.
Hey Jude had a piece (18 September 2008) on using virtual worlds and virtual interfaces to repackage learning opportunities for students. It's important to remember how popular these virtual environments are with young people in particular. Virtual worlds such as Second Life offer various courses, which might be an avenue for the library to reach those who either are not aware of the library and its services and resources, or are unable to physically get to the libary at particular times (or at all) to attend a course or event. A great Australian library blog is Kathryn Greenhill's "Librarians Matter".
Another great librarian blog, which I am sure is well-known by all is Terry Ballard's "Librarian On The Edge" blog. It's packed with great items and lots of great-looking graphics and photos. In a posting from 2 July 2008, Terry mentions his encounter with the WebJunction folks at a national library conference.
Somehow came across StoryTubes which offers children the oppportunity to "Be the star of your own movie! Tell about a favorite book by creating an online video." The competition is also open to teenagers and adults. Check out some of the winning videos at StoryTubes!
I am considering taking the plunge into SL to investigate virtual world libraries and how we might be able to use the concept here. Here's an item about them entitled "Virtual Worlds" located through the Library Success wiki site.
Cellular Storytelling
Listening to FBI radio when I heard an interesting item about novels on mobile phones. In Japan in particular, reading a novel on your mobile phone is apparently hugely popular. Novels are also written on mobile phones. For more info, check out these articles:
"In Japan, cellular storytelling is all the rage", SMH, 3 December 2007.
" a novell?, Wikipedia, viewed 9 October 2008.
"In Japan, cellular storytelling is all the rage", SMH, 3 December 2007.
" a novell?, Wikipedia, viewed 9 October 2008.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wiki Test
OK, having chosen to use Clearwiki, I have created a test wiki which does appear to be free and private. I have put a small page of non-sensitive content there and will test the wiki to ensure it is indeed private and cannot be edited by others without invitation.
Which Wiki?
Starting a new wiki isn't quite as easy as I was led to understand from the Public Libraries Web 2.0 course. Checking for a wiki comparison, I found Wikipedia had a comparison of wiki farms which listed the various features of the various wiki software packages. Looking for a wiki that was free and private was not that simple. General speaking, free wikis are also public. This can mean public in the sense that anyone in the world can edit the wiki or that the wiki cannot be edited by anyone except those permitted by the wiki creator/s but the wiki is still viewable on the internet by anyone.
In addition, free wikis do not tend to be ad-free. Private, ad-free wikis tend to cost between $5 and $20 per month but can range up to $8000 per month! In addition, free wikis have limited storage space, eg file storage of 2 GB and per file maximum of 10 MB.
WikiMatrix is a useful site which lists all the wikis available and enables you to compare them. Using the various wiki comparison guides, I located ClearWiki which offers a free, private wiki for up to 10 users and up to 256Mb of storage. If you need to allow more users or need more space, you can upgrade and pay.
In addition, free wikis do not tend to be ad-free. Private, ad-free wikis tend to cost between $5 and $20 per month but can range up to $8000 per month! In addition, free wikis have limited storage space, eg file storage of 2 GB and per file maximum of 10 MB.
WikiMatrix is a useful site which lists all the wikis available and enables you to compare them. Using the various wiki comparison guides, I located ClearWiki which offers a free, private wiki for up to 10 users and up to 256Mb of storage. If you need to allow more users or need more space, you can upgrade and pay.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Web 2.0: changing who contributes to Web
Today I received a Netlingo 'Word of the Day' email with some interesting data on how Web 2.0 technology is changing who contributes content to the World Wide Web:
1% rule
An emerging rule of thumb that suggests that if you get a group of 100 people online, then one will create content, ten will interact with it (commenting or offering improvements) and the other 89 will just view it (also known as lurking). Earlier metrics garnered from online community sites suggested that about 80% of content was produced by 20% of the users, but the growing data due to social networking sites and blogs creates a different picture. The lesson? A Web site that demands too much interaction and content generation from users will see nine out of ten people just pass by. (http://www.netlingo.com/)
If this is the case, then there are a lot of people out there who can contribute to our library's Web 2.0 'face'.
1% rule
An emerging rule of thumb that suggests that if you get a group of 100 people online, then one will create content, ten will interact with it (commenting or offering improvements) and the other 89 will just view it (also known as lurking). Earlier metrics garnered from online community sites suggested that about 80% of content was produced by 20% of the users, but the growing data due to social networking sites and blogs creates a different picture. The lesson? A Web site that demands too much interaction and content generation from users will see nine out of ten people just pass by. (http://www.netlingo.com/)
If this is the case, then there are a lot of people out there who can contribute to our library's Web 2.0 'face'.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Ebooks
List of websites for e-books and downloadable audio books.
I have checked out libraries from Australia and America they seem to either be using NetLibrary or Overdrive or a combination for both for customers.
Free ebooks - A blog post with 20 best websites to download Free eBooks
Overdrive Digital Media Services company
NetLibrary OCLC eBooks product
TumbleTalkingBooks online audio library
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Welcome aboard!
Hi all and welcome to the first post in the vast fence that we, the technovisionaries, will be laying down to help pin down areas of vast Internet and technological advances to assist in everyday library operation and use. So I guess you could say to use a catchy phrase that we will be findining and founding a 'techniche' that we can go to not only for information, but to help ourselves gather and disseminate information not only in regards to our own workplace needs, but the needs of our patrons. So by keeping ourselves informed of emerging technology we can empower our users to also be able to enjoy the benefits of the enhancements technology can bring to all aspects of library users lives, from the recreational to the more academic pursuits.
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