My blog post on RSS
We are bombarded with so much information these days that any content that isn't right in our faces will likely be missed. This is why RSS is so valuable; it allows us to choose exactly what types of information we want to find and what sources we want to follow, and have all that delivered to us on a regular basis. There are some great library people writing technology related blogs these days; RSS is a great way to bring useful information to my desktop. It makes professional development so much easier as I only have to look in one place.
I am now running a corporate Twitter account for my company which makes RSS even more important. Aiming to post 2-6 library related posts on Twitter per day can be hard if I have to search for information. The use of RSS has helped this immensely. I have RSS feeds to library related technology blogs, national and state libraries and professional associations.
I have also just started a technical blog for our team at work. One of my first posts was on RSS as my team members do not use them.
http://galetechtips.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/rss-feeds/
The exercise on RSS certainly made me rethink how important it is to keep up-to-date, and how RSS is a simple way to do this. I can see one caution; we have to be selective to what we feed to as it is very easy to get RSS overload!
Second Life
My blog post on Second Life
I have really not done much with Second Life so this exercise made me get out of my comfort zone and explore a social networking tool I was not very familiar with. I spent a complete weekend exploring this virtual platform with my newly created avatar LynetteJoy. I love the concept of using Second Life for teaching and training. I can see how Second Life has great potential as a learning platform. The virtual environment offers opportunities for student interaction, intense engagement, simulations and role-playing without being intrusive to “real-life”. The anonymity created by using an avatar could quite possibly lead to less inhibition and greater interaction by the student. To increase my understanding of how Second Life is being used for both library and educational purposes; I followed up with some professional reading in relation to using Second Life as a learning experience. I have included a couple of interesting links as examples:
Extending the classroom through Second Life http://edtc6325cooperativeproject.pbworks.com/f/extending+the+classroom+through+second+life.pdf
Simulating clinical experience: Exploring Second Life as a learning tool for nurse education. http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/rogers.pdf
Foreign language learning in Second Life and the implications for resource provision in academic libraries
http://arcadiaproject.lib.cam.ac.uk/docs/second_life.pdf
Library 2.0
My blog post on Library 2.0
Library 2.0; it’s all about user participation, collaboration, creation and reaching current and potential users. I felt that the module on Library 2.0 brought together the social networking tools discussed in earlier posts. It made me think of how we could use these tools on a website to enable a more creative and collaborative environment. When looking at the library website; I also looked at the “findability” of things. How was the website architected, what type of language was used, what was the navigation and searchability of the site. It is great to incorporate social networking tools into a site; but it needs to be done to enhance the user experience. I find a lot of library websites full of “library jargon”. In addition to all the jargon; vital tools such as database links are hidden three levels down on the site. Whilst completing this module I re-read the book by Michael Casey and Laura Savastinuk Library 2.0: a guide to participatory library service. Although published back in 2007, it still really outlines the essentials of a participatory library service, and emphasises the importance of constant and purposeful change. When examining the library website I chose (Yarra Plenty Regional Library http://yprl.vic.gov.au ); I felt quite disappointed at the lack of interactivity in the website.
This article written by Michael Casey and LauraSavastinuk summaries the Library 2.0 book that I re-read.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6365200.html
I also had the opportunity in October 2012 to participate in some of the online sessions at the Library 2.0 conference. The sessions are all recorded on the following site:
http://www.library20.com/page/2-012-conference
My development as a social networker
My initial post on what is social networking
The course structure has allowed me to explore a number of
social networking platforms in relation to the information management
industry As a person working in the
commercial vendor area; it has made me look at ways to better connect network
and collaborate with libraries in a two-way process. When exploring each social
networking platform I looked at ways that libraries are currently using the
platform, and how I could possibly use it.
I am particularly interested in using a more interactive platform for
online training. I liked how the modules
progressed to lead into the library 2.0 module.
It was a very logical progression to explore a number of social media
platforms and then look at how and if they are being used by libraries to
collaborate and communicate with their respective communities. The
variety of social media platforms to explore was great. It gave a nice taste of
what is currently out in the social networking world. One thing that could have been included in
the course is perhaps more comparison between certain platforms. For example a comparison of uses and
functionality between Facebook and LinkedIn.
I noticed comments on the Facebook forum from people who had never used
these platforms before the course, and I felt they may not have understood the
differences in how the platforms are used.
The hands on approach to the course encouraged me to explore
each social media site. It was not just
an exercise in reading other people’s views and experiences about a particular
site, but one of playing on the actual site to discover what its strong points
and limitations were. I particularly
liked the idea of documenting thoughts and activities on an online
journal. The journal also allowed me to
put links to all the platforms I had set up so they were accessible from one
central place.
I loved the use of Facebook as a group discussion platform for
the subject. I found it much more
interactive than the more traditional forums set up for other CSU subjects. The
site is easier to use and richer media links and content can be added. It is also easier to see others comments.
The tasks and assessment items set were all interesting and
certainly added to the hands-on experience of the subject. I particularly liked the second assignment as
it gave me the opportunity to set up a corporate Twitter platform for our
company which is geared at our Australian and New Zealand library customers. The
Twitter platform has allowed me to network with customers and potential
customers and share information and links about a wide range of library related
issues. In return, I have found out what are important issues to them. Setting
up the Twitter account has also encouraged me in my own professional
development by setting up RSS feeds to sites that may be of interest in the
library community.
The third assignment was timely for me working full-time and undertaking two subjects as it enabled me to develop my OLJ throughout the complete course. It made the last assessment a little easier to cope with. I think the concept of developing the OLJ as we progressed through the subject was an excellent idea.
The third assignment was timely for me working full-time and undertaking two subjects as it enabled me to develop my OLJ throughout the complete course. It made the last assessment a little easier to cope with. I think the concept of developing the OLJ as we progressed through the subject was an excellent idea.
I have also set up a technical help blog for our team where
new technologies are discussed. So far
we have covered QR codes, RSS feeds and the next post is on mobile applications
for iPads, as the team has just been set up with an iPad each. I am also about to begin another product with
one of our public library customers setting up some online training.
In the area of professional development; this course has
certainly made me think more creatively about better ways to connect and
collaborate with library users to enhance the user experience. As a student undertaking a Masters of
Information Architecture; I am interested in ways that websites can be
architected to best suit the user’s needs.
Incorporating suitable social media platforms into the more static
website enables more creation, collaboration and interactivity between the user
and the library or company. From reading
the suggested chapters on Web 2.0 architectures
(thanks for the suggestion); I have gone out and ordered the complete book. A bit
of “light reading” in the semester break.
Where to next? Well
hopefully I will have completed my Masters of Information Architecture at the
end of next semester, so my time between working full time and studying will be
a little easier. Personally I love training
and sharing the concept of Web 2.0 and social networking in, so perhaps one day I may have the
opportunity teach a similar subject.
