Also available: Video!
Watch the Video
The rest can be found on this page. I really really would love to put these up on YouTube. Any objections?
Showing posts with label ncpltech20. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ncpltech20. Show all posts
Monday, January 22, 2007
Game Night Pictures!
Pictures that I took at the Staff Game Night Saturday are uploaded onto my Flickr site. Enjoy!
Also available: Video!
Watch the Video
The rest can be found on this page. I really really would love to put these up on YouTube. Any objections?
Also available: Video!
Watch the Video
The rest can be found on this page. I really really would love to put these up on YouTube. Any objections?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Task 21 and 22
Task 21 - Library 2.0 Reading List
I know that faced with a new technology, it's easier to see how you can use it yourself than it is to see how you can use it at work. With many of these designed for personal use, the possible benefits for libraries are not always the first thing to come to mind. Fortunately, Web 2.0 is all about sharing ideas, and libraries and librarians all over the world are coming up with new and interesting ways to use technology in libraries and sharing these ideas with the rest of us.
The ALA offered an online bootcamp on "Library 2.0" (while many people aren't fond of the name, it's what is being used to describe libraries who are using these new online services to their fullest advantage, providing more of a link between the library and their patrons), and provided a Squidoo page with links to what people were saying about it. There are links to blog posts, flickr pictures, del.icio.us links, as well as podcasts and webcasts on the subject.
Your task: Skim through the reading list. You don't need to read everything, but click on something that sounds interesting and see what people are saying. I saw many of these people speak at Internet Librarian 2006. They're all worth listening to. Some suggestions are this post by Michael Casey, this one by John Blyberg, or any of these by the ALA TechSource Crew.
Task 22 - Online Seminars with SirsiDynix
Now, we obviously can't afford to send everyone in the library to California next year for Internet Librarian. However, you don't need to spend a lot of money and travel time just to hear what the movers and shakers of the library world have to say. The SirsiDynix Institute provides free online seminars on library topics, many of them pertaining to Web and Library 2.0. From Podcasting, to Gaming in Libraries, to Blogging, all of these topics have been discussed in SirsiDynix Seminars, and are available free during the original broadcast as well as in the seminar archive which provides access to seminars you might have missed.
Your Task: Explore the SirsiDynix Institute page. See what's coming up, as well as take a look at the archive and see what they've already covered. I know that not everyone has a fast enough internet connection to view these at home, but consider taking a minute or two the next time you're at the library to check one of these out.
I know that faced with a new technology, it's easier to see how you can use it yourself than it is to see how you can use it at work. With many of these designed for personal use, the possible benefits for libraries are not always the first thing to come to mind. Fortunately, Web 2.0 is all about sharing ideas, and libraries and librarians all over the world are coming up with new and interesting ways to use technology in libraries and sharing these ideas with the rest of us.
The ALA offered an online bootcamp on "Library 2.0" (while many people aren't fond of the name, it's what is being used to describe libraries who are using these new online services to their fullest advantage, providing more of a link between the library and their patrons), and provided a Squidoo page with links to what people were saying about it. There are links to blog posts, flickr pictures, del.icio.us links, as well as podcasts and webcasts on the subject.
Your task: Skim through the reading list. You don't need to read everything, but click on something that sounds interesting and see what people are saying. I saw many of these people speak at Internet Librarian 2006. They're all worth listening to. Some suggestions are this post by Michael Casey, this one by John Blyberg, or any of these by the ALA TechSource Crew.
Task 22 - Online Seminars with SirsiDynix
Now, we obviously can't afford to send everyone in the library to California next year for Internet Librarian. However, you don't need to spend a lot of money and travel time just to hear what the movers and shakers of the library world have to say. The SirsiDynix Institute provides free online seminars on library topics, many of them pertaining to Web and Library 2.0. From Podcasting, to Gaming in Libraries, to Blogging, all of these topics have been discussed in SirsiDynix Seminars, and are available free during the original broadcast as well as in the seminar archive which provides access to seminars you might have missed.
Your Task: Explore the SirsiDynix Institute page. See what's coming up, as well as take a look at the archive and see what they've already covered. I know that not everyone has a fast enough internet connection to view these at home, but consider taking a minute or two the next time you're at the library to check one of these out.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Task 20: Online Databases
This might be a review to some people, but I think a lot of times we forget to refer people to our wonderful online databases when they come in trying to do research.
Have you ever had someone come in trying to write a paper (especially for a college class) on a topic we didn't have much information for? What if they need several sources and we only have one book? Do you suggest our EBSCO database or any of the other databases we get through the Kentucky Virtual Library? When people come in looking for genealogy information, do we remember to mention that we have access to Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest? Do you refer patrons to Novelist when they want to know what other books are in a series?
Many of these sources can be invaluable in helping our patrons do research. As an example, suppose a patron came in looking for information for a paper they were writing on "dangerous" dogs breeds and the ordinances many cities are passing in order to protect citizens. (Louisville just passed one of their own.) In our non-fiction section, we have general books about dogs, and more specific books about some of the breeds that are considered "dangerous", but probably not enough information to write a paper on this topic. However, a quick search of the KYVL database brings up articles on dangerous dog ordinances: several from a veterinary magazine, and one from USA Today. These articles give information on at least three different locations with laws designed to control certain breeds that are considered "dangerous", and information on people who are fighting against designating certain dog breeds as "dangerous". A search of EBSCOhost (don't be intimidated by their choose a database page. when in doubt, check it) brought up several more articles in full text. These results could be all a patron needs to complete their paper. (Search hint: Once you find an article, try clicking on the subject links to see similar articles.)
Your task: Make it a point to explore the databases we have access to. What did you find that you had never seen before? What can you see being the most useful in helping patrons find information? If you need help navigating through the KYVL databases, ask someone who has taken the "Intro to Reference" class through KYVU. They should be able to help.
Have you ever had someone come in trying to write a paper (especially for a college class) on a topic we didn't have much information for? What if they need several sources and we only have one book? Do you suggest our EBSCO database or any of the other databases we get through the Kentucky Virtual Library? When people come in looking for genealogy information, do we remember to mention that we have access to Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest? Do you refer patrons to Novelist when they want to know what other books are in a series?
Many of these sources can be invaluable in helping our patrons do research. As an example, suppose a patron came in looking for information for a paper they were writing on "dangerous" dogs breeds and the ordinances many cities are passing in order to protect citizens. (Louisville just passed one of their own.) In our non-fiction section, we have general books about dogs, and more specific books about some of the breeds that are considered "dangerous", but probably not enough information to write a paper on this topic. However, a quick search of the KYVL database brings up articles on dangerous dog ordinances: several from a veterinary magazine, and one from USA Today. These articles give information on at least three different locations with laws designed to control certain breeds that are considered "dangerous", and information on people who are fighting against designating certain dog breeds as "dangerous". A search of EBSCOhost (don't be intimidated by their choose a database page. when in doubt, check it) brought up several more articles in full text. These results could be all a patron needs to complete their paper. (Search hint: Once you find an article, try clicking on the subject links to see similar articles.)
Your task: Make it a point to explore the databases we have access to. What did you find that you had never seen before? What can you see being the most useful in helping patrons find information? If you need help navigating through the KYVL databases, ask someone who has taken the "Intro to Reference" class through KYVU. They should be able to help.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Task 19 - Downloadable audiobooks
We all know that some of those big libraries offer downloadable audiobooks for their patrons, and even though we don't offer those yet our patrons can still choose to buy downloadable audiobooks from most online stores. But what happens when they want something new? Can you find free downloadable audiobooks online without being a patron of one of the libraries that offers those as part of their collection? Sure you can.
Podiobooks is a site that offers free audiobook downloads of unpublished books (and one or two in the public domain) in all genres. Fantasy, Mystery, Humour, Drama, and even books for children and young adults!
Another site available is Librivox, which offers free audiobook downloads of books in the public domain. Many of these books are classics, read by volunteers and posted for your enjoyment. Non-fiction, as well as books in languages other than English are also available.
Like Podcasts (in fact, many of these books are available by podcast) you are not required to have an iPod or any other MP3 player to listen to them. All you need is a computer program that will play music.
Your task: Explore the two websites above. I'm not going to require you to download anything, or to write a report on an audiobook you listened to, but just go and see what each site has to offer. You never know when you might need to recommend either of these sites to someone.
Podiobooks is a site that offers free audiobook downloads of unpublished books (and one or two in the public domain) in all genres. Fantasy, Mystery, Humour, Drama, and even books for children and young adults!
Another site available is Librivox, which offers free audiobook downloads of books in the public domain. Many of these books are classics, read by volunteers and posted for your enjoyment. Non-fiction, as well as books in languages other than English are also available.
Like Podcasts (in fact, many of these books are available by podcast) you are not required to have an iPod or any other MP3 player to listen to them. All you need is a computer program that will play music.
Your task: Explore the two websites above. I'm not going to require you to download anything, or to write a report on an audiobook you listened to, but just go and see what each site has to offer. You never know when you might need to recommend either of these sites to someone.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
The end is near! (Or: So you want one of those prize things...)
So you've heard about the three potential prizes for the challenge, but have you seen them? We have:
If you complete all 23 tasks, you get your choice of one of these.
Once you've decided which one you want, vote here so I can order enough of each.
If you complete all 23 tasks, you get your choice of one of these.
Once you've decided which one you want, vote here so I can order enough of each.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Task 18 - Blog about technology
With the beginning of the new year, the end of the NCPL Tech 2.0 challenge draws closer. Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel? (Yeah, me either. I'd better get my butt in gear if I'm going to have all this stuff posted on time...)
So now, the task.
This one is really easy.
Blog about Technology.
No, really. That's it. You've spent all this time listening to me talk about technology, and now it's your turn. Write a blog post about your computer, the copier, or even the labelmaker. Explain why you love it, how to use it, or why you should be allowed to throw the stupid thing out the window. Tell us what's so cool about some techie thing you got for Christmas, or something new we've gotten (or will be getting) in the library. Tell us why you really want that MP3 Player/Digital Camera/PDA. It’s your blog, be creative!
So now, the task.
This one is really easy.
Blog about Technology.
No, really. That's it. You've spent all this time listening to me talk about technology, and now it's your turn. Write a blog post about your computer, the copier, or even the labelmaker. Explain why you love it, how to use it, or why you should be allowed to throw the stupid thing out the window. Tell us what's so cool about some techie thing you got for Christmas, or something new we've gotten (or will be getting) in the library. Tell us why you really want that MP3 Player/Digital Camera/PDA. It’s your blog, be creative!
Friday, December 22, 2006
Task 17 - Wikis
Wiki, the hawaiian word for "quick", is the name given to a certain kind of website, which is designed to make information easier to collect and display through collaboration. What really makes wikis different from blogs, or collaborative web applications like google docs, is the wiki has the perfect setup for cross-referencing everything. Notice how the Wikipedia links important keywords in each entry to their own individual entries within the wiki. The Wikipedia is probably the most well known wiki. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. Users have the ability to create new entries, add on to existing ones, and discuss the entries themselves on a special "Talk" page that exists for every page in wikipedia.
Although well-known, Wikipedia isn't the only wiki out there. The WikiIndex tries to be the definitive list of Wikis available on the web. For example, there is a LyricWiki, which provides (suprise!) song lyrics. If you know the lyrics to a song that isn't listed, all you would have to do is create a free account (it helps keep spammers from adding junk to the wiki) and add a page with the song lyrics. It's that simple.
Your job: Try looking through the WikiIndex for wikis that look interesting to you, and explore one to get a handle on how wikis work. Think you've got it? Now go here to our own personal sandbox wiki, and add a wiki to the favorite wikis page. (The wiki password is "ncpltech".) If you're feeling brave, add a page and start something new! :)
(This will be the last task for a week. Enjoy your holidays!)
Although well-known, Wikipedia isn't the only wiki out there. The WikiIndex tries to be the definitive list of Wikis available on the web. For example, there is a LyricWiki, which provides (suprise!) song lyrics. If you know the lyrics to a song that isn't listed, all you would have to do is create a free account (it helps keep spammers from adding junk to the wiki) and add a page with the song lyrics. It's that simple.
Your job: Try looking through the WikiIndex for wikis that look interesting to you, and explore one to get a handle on how wikis work. Think you've got it? Now go here to our own personal sandbox wiki, and add a wiki to the favorite wikis page. (The wiki password is "ncpltech".) If you're feeling brave, add a page and start something new! :)
(This will be the last task for a week. Enjoy your holidays!)
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Task 16 - The Web 2.0 Awards
Many of the tools we've been learning to use are a part of "Web 2.0", the internet movement towards social tools and collaboration. Back in March, the best of the best in Web 2.0 were announced, as part of the Web 2.0 awards. Similar to the Webby's, the Web 2.0 Awards were chosen from among the multitude of sites that cropped up as Web 2.0 gained popularity.
The top three sites in each category are profiled, and a list of the honorable mentions is also available for your viewing pleasure.
Your task: Explore the Web 2.0 Awards Website. Tell us about the most interesting service you find there in your blog.
The top three sites in each category are profiled, and a list of the honorable mentions is also available for your viewing pleasure.
Your task: Explore the Web 2.0 Awards Website. Tell us about the most interesting service you find there in your blog.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Task 15 - Search Engines!
So we've all seen the Ten Reasons Librarians Should Use Ask.com instead of Google over on the Librarian in Black blog. Now, while I actually have more luck with my Google searches, it's up to you to pick a search engine that you feel does the best job and you're the most comfortable with. But how do you keep up with everything? Where's a good place to get the latest scoop on search engines?
Both of these sites have RSS feeds available, so jump in!
Your Task: Explore one or both of the above search engine sites. Which Search Engine do you use? Did either of these sites prompt you to change the search engine you use most often? Respond in a post on your blog.
- The Search Engine Showdown. Has news, reviews, and stats for all the main search engines, as well as some you probably haven't heard of.
- Search Engine Land is a brand new site that provides the latest in search engine news. Also, check out their extensive blogroll for more search engine links!
Both of these sites have RSS feeds available, so jump in!
Your Task: Explore one or both of the above search engine sites. Which Search Engine do you use? Did either of these sites prompt you to change the search engine you use most often? Respond in a post on your blog.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Task 14 - Web-based Applications
There was a time when pricey word-processing programs were a necessity. You needed to buy a copy for your home computer, and every other computer you might need to open the file on, and you were pretty much out of luck if you had a different version of the program on any of the computers you used. And forget sharing your documents with friends or coworkers. You ran into the same problems if you both didn't have the same version of a program, or even the same program (Word vs. Works vs. Wordperfect for example).
Web-based applications try to alleviate some of these problems. By making the application available online, not only is the program available to any computer with internet access, but the file is also available from any computer with internet access.
Some examples of web-based apps:
You can also find more web-based applications here.
Your task: Send me an email (emthelibrarian@gmail.com). I have created a list of movies to buy for the new library on Google Docs, and I will put you on the list of people to edit it. There, you can add your movie suggestions, and explore the service at the same time!
Web-based applications try to alleviate some of these problems. By making the application available online, not only is the program available to any computer with internet access, but the file is also available from any computer with internet access.
Some examples of web-based apps:
- Google Docs & Spreadsheets. Google bought out the online word processor Writely in the spring of 2006. Most of what I do for this challenge has been created here, so I don't loose the disk my files are saved on. Files can be uploaded here and edited, or exported onto a disk (in several file types) for editing offline.
- Phixr is an online photo editing program. While it doesn't offer as much as Photoshop, it's still a handy program. Also similar is My Pictr, which only crops photos.
You can also find more web-based applications here.
Your task: Send me an email (emthelibrarian@gmail.com). I have created a list of movies to buy for the new library on Google Docs, and I will put you on the list of people to edit it. There, you can add your movie suggestions, and explore the service at the same time!
Task 13: Instant Messaging (IM)
Did you know that some teenagers think that email is for talking to old people? For an entire generation, Instant Messaging is the way to communicate with friends, family, and in some cases, even the library!
At Stephen Abram's blog, he discusses the results of an AOL Instant Messenger poll about Instant Messenger usage statistics. While most of the results are in reference to teens, we can see that Instant Messaging is not just a purely teenage thing (in fact, I would probably guess that text messaging on cell phones is this generation's IM). Instant messaging allows for easy communication between two people, less formal than e-mail, and tends to look more like a conversation and less like a letter. Most instant messaging clients are free, and now there are even alternatives to downloading an IM client. Meebo, for example, allows the users of some of the most popular IM clients (AIM, YAHOO, MSN, ICQ) to connect to all of their accounts simultaneously, without downloading anything at all.
Now you get a choice. Either sign up for one of the free Instant Messenger accounts and explore the world of IM. If you need someone to IM, I have an account for all of the major ones (though, it might take me a while to remember my ICQ password), and will be happy to let you use me as a guinea pig. If you would rather just try this IM thing out first, use the Meebo chat box in the right sidebar of this page. It doesn't require an account or any downloads. Just type something in the box and send! It will tell you if I'm online or away, so you don't have to worry about wondering if I'm actually there. Happy IMing!
At Stephen Abram's blog, he discusses the results of an AOL Instant Messenger poll about Instant Messenger usage statistics. While most of the results are in reference to teens, we can see that Instant Messaging is not just a purely teenage thing (in fact, I would probably guess that text messaging on cell phones is this generation's IM). Instant messaging allows for easy communication between two people, less formal than e-mail, and tends to look more like a conversation and less like a letter. Most instant messaging clients are free, and now there are even alternatives to downloading an IM client. Meebo, for example, allows the users of some of the most popular IM clients (AIM, YAHOO, MSN, ICQ) to connect to all of their accounts simultaneously, without downloading anything at all.
Now you get a choice. Either sign up for one of the free Instant Messenger accounts and explore the world of IM. If you need someone to IM, I have an account for all of the major ones (though, it might take me a while to remember my ICQ password), and will be happy to let you use me as a guinea pig. If you would rather just try this IM thing out first, use the Meebo chat box in the right sidebar of this page. It doesn't require an account or any downloads. Just type something in the box and send! It will tell you if I'm online or away, so you don't have to worry about wondering if I'm actually there. Happy IMing!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Task 12 - Del.icio.us
(Don't worry if it takes you forever to remember how exactly to type this website in. We've all been there. I'm still there, in fact. I've mistyped that address 20 times in the last half-hour.)
Del.icio.us is a site that allows you to upload your bookmarks, making them accessible from any computer with a web connection. This also allows you share these bookmarks with others. Del.icio.us also supports tagging, offering the same easy search and browsing that tagging gives sites like Flickr and LibraryThing.
As an example, I have started a del.icio.us site here, to keep track of all the websites I have linked to during the challenge. Just need to know where the cool avatar sites were again? Click on the "task7" tag, and see all the links I referenced in Task 7.
Something else del.icio.us shares with Flickr and LibraryThing is the ability to subscribe to a certain search, receiving notifications whenever someone posts something you might be interested in. You can opt to receive notifications whenever someone posts a public link with a tag that matches your search query.
Your task: Explore del.icio.us, and create an account. What websites could you not live without? Share them with us, by posting a link to your del.icio.us account in your blog!
Del.icio.us is a site that allows you to upload your bookmarks, making them accessible from any computer with a web connection. This also allows you share these bookmarks with others. Del.icio.us also supports tagging, offering the same easy search and browsing that tagging gives sites like Flickr and LibraryThing.
As an example, I have started a del.icio.us site here, to keep track of all the websites I have linked to during the challenge. Just need to know where the cool avatar sites were again? Click on the "task7" tag, and see all the links I referenced in Task 7.
Something else del.icio.us shares with Flickr and LibraryThing is the ability to subscribe to a certain search, receiving notifications whenever someone posts something you might be interested in. You can opt to receive notifications whenever someone posts a public link with a tag that matches your search query.
Your task: Explore del.icio.us, and create an account. What websites could you not live without? Share them with us, by posting a link to your del.icio.us account in your blog!
Friday, December 8, 2006
Task 11 - LibraryThing
So far we've seen communities based on words, videos, and pictures. Next we'll be looking at a community that is based on books. LibraryThing is a site that allows you to make a list of books you own (or even just books you've read) and rate them, review them, tag them, discuss them, or just about anything else you can think of doing. LibraryThing will even tell you who has similar reading tastes to you, and you can check out their list to find something else you might enjoy reading. (Someone who had read 39 of the same books as I have will probably have the same taste in books, so any book that they enjoy will probably be something I will enjoy.)
LibraryThing is similar to NoveList in that it is very helpful for reader's advisory, but LibraryThing is more community oriented. Instead of giving reader's advisory by genre lists, these recommendations take into consideration everything that you have on your list. You like mysteries, but you also like a good weepy romance now and again? LibraryThing will try to match you up with people who do too (there's even an easy way to see exactly what books you and the other person have in common, so you don't have to wonder if you're just being recommended because they have read all the same mysteries that you have).
When you have an account, adding books is easy. When you are logged in, at the top of the page there will be a tab that says "add books". Click there, type in the name or the author, or even the ISBN number, and LibraryThing will search whichever database you choose to find the book's record. That's it! Choose the correct book from the list of results by clicking on it, and the book record will be added to your list.
(Fun hint: Notice the RSS buttons on the bottom right corner of my profile page? If you find someone on LibraryThing that has the same taste as you, you can subscribe to an RSS feed that will notify you when they've added a new book to their list. There is also one that will notify you when they post a new book review. Book recommendations delivered directly to you!)
Your task: Sign up for LibraryThing. Add a few books, and explore what the site offers. Add a link to your profile page to your blog so we can see what you've read.
LibraryThing is similar to NoveList in that it is very helpful for reader's advisory, but LibraryThing is more community oriented. Instead of giving reader's advisory by genre lists, these recommendations take into consideration everything that you have on your list. You like mysteries, but you also like a good weepy romance now and again? LibraryThing will try to match you up with people who do too (there's even an easy way to see exactly what books you and the other person have in common, so you don't have to wonder if you're just being recommended because they have read all the same mysteries that you have).
When you have an account, adding books is easy. When you are logged in, at the top of the page there will be a tab that says "add books". Click there, type in the name or the author, or even the ISBN number, and LibraryThing will search whichever database you choose to find the book's record. That's it! Choose the correct book from the list of results by clicking on it, and the book record will be added to your list.
(Fun hint: Notice the RSS buttons on the bottom right corner of my profile page? If you find someone on LibraryThing that has the same taste as you, you can subscribe to an RSS feed that will notify you when they've added a new book to their list. There is also one that will notify you when they post a new book review. Book recommendations delivered directly to you!)
Your task: Sign up for LibraryThing. Add a few books, and explore what the site offers. Add a link to your profile page to your blog so we can see what you've read.
Task 10: Tagging
Did you notice the tagging feature on Technorati? Or Flickr? What about the labels feature on blogger?
Tagging is a feature that many web applications now support, allowing you to assign keywords for easy retrieval later. For example, this picture on my flickr site is tagged with "library", "pirate night", and "ya program". This way, if anyone came to flickr looking for pictures of YA programs, this picture from pirate night would show up as a search result. The default search on flickr searches the tags, photo descriptions, and photo titles.
On the Popular tags page, (which can be found by clicking on the triangle on the "explore" tab and then going to "popular tags") you can see the most popular tags used on flickr in the past 24 hours, the past week, or of all time. The most popular tags of all time are listed by alphabetical order, but the bigger a word appears, the more often it has been used to tag photos.
While my example has been from Flickr, several of the sites we have used recently have had a tagging feature. I use the tagging feature on this blog, to make it easy to find each challenge. On the right hand side of the blog, under the heading "labels", you can click on any of the tags there to see the posts that pertain to that particular tag. Clicking on "task1" for example, will take you to the entry that contains the challenge for task 1, which will be helpful when you're trying to find one particular task out of the 23 that have been posted.
Your challenge? Tag something. Tag your photos, your blog posts, anything that allows tagging. (There will be more places that allow this later on.) Along with your own tags, tag something you've done for this program as "ncpltech20". Then go here, and see what everyone else has tagged for the program on flickr.
Tagging is a feature that many web applications now support, allowing you to assign keywords for easy retrieval later. For example, this picture on my flickr site is tagged with "library", "pirate night", and "ya program". This way, if anyone came to flickr looking for pictures of YA programs, this picture from pirate night would show up as a search result. The default search on flickr searches the tags, photo descriptions, and photo titles.
On the Popular tags page, (which can be found by clicking on the triangle on the "explore" tab and then going to "popular tags") you can see the most popular tags used on flickr in the past 24 hours, the past week, or of all time. The most popular tags of all time are listed by alphabetical order, but the bigger a word appears, the more often it has been used to tag photos.
While my example has been from Flickr, several of the sites we have used recently have had a tagging feature. I use the tagging feature on this blog, to make it easy to find each challenge. On the right hand side of the blog, under the heading "labels", you can click on any of the tags there to see the posts that pertain to that particular tag. Clicking on "task1" for example, will take you to the entry that contains the challenge for task 1, which will be helpful when you're trying to find one particular task out of the 23 that have been posted.
Your challenge? Tag something. Tag your photos, your blog posts, anything that allows tagging. (There will be more places that allow this later on.) Along with your own tags, tag something you've done for this program as "ncpltech20". Then go here, and see what everyone else has tagged for the program on flickr.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Task 9: Flickr toys
The internet used to be a pretty one-sided place. Websites allowed you to put information out on the web, but there wasn't a lot of collaboration. You just took the information as it was, and that was that. Now, the web is all about collaboration. Most web applications can be easily co-opted and modified to add functionality. Flickr is an excellent example of a site that has become the base for all sorts of other applications.
Examples:
So for this task: Explore some of the flickr tools listed above, and post about it in your blog. If you edit a picture, try to post it in your blog. Or if the tool you use helps you find pictures on flickr, try and post one of those.
Examples:
- Flickrbits.com. This site claims to be the definitive list of flickr tools available on the web.
- FD's Flickr toys. This site provides little tools that add frames to your photos, or make them into trading cards or magazine covers. This would be a great place to use that self-portrait picture I mentioned in the last task assignment!
- Retrievr. This tool allows you to search for flickr pictures by sketching them out on your screen. Fun to play around with and see what you come up with.
- Colr Pickr. This is one of my favorites. Want to find a bunch of green pictures? Feeling like today is a pink day? Pick a color, and this tool will show you pictures on Flickr that match that color.
- Spell with Flickr. Want a really easy way to write a ransom note? This site lets you type in a message and spells it with images found on flickr.
- Clockr. See the current time written out in pictures of numbers found on flickr. This can even be downloaded as a screensaver.
- Also cool is Moo, a site that will print you little business cards with your own flickr pictures printed on the back of them. This is for a fee, of course, but still neat all the same.
So for this task: Explore some of the flickr tools listed above, and post about it in your blog. If you edit a picture, try to post it in your blog. Or if the tool you use helps you find pictures on flickr, try and post one of those.
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
A few hints for those just starting (and maybe everyone else as well...)
- I have to add new blogs to the list of participant logs. Make sure to send me a link to your blog so I can add you!
- The Meebo chat box is great, but if you use it you need to tell me who you are! From my end, you are identified as "MeeboGuest" with a random number after it, which doesn't help me much. Also, if you move away from the page where the chat box is, you will be disconnected from the chat. When you reconnect, there will be a new number attached to "MeeboGuest", so you'll need to reidentify yourself. Even better: You can click on "Edit Nick" and change the "Meeboguest" to your name! After you change it once, it should continue to show up as you each time you visit the page.
Everyone is doing a great job. Keep up the fantastic work!
Monday, December 4, 2006
Task 8: Flickr
Welcome to week two of the Technology 2.0 challenge! We're still having more people sign up every day, and that's great! If you haven't started yet (or you're behind in the challenges already) never fear! There's still plenty of time to get caught up and complete the challenge.
Flickr is a photo sharing site that uses profiles, comments, groups and tagging to create a community built around picture sharing. Just like blogs create a community built around your words, and YouTube creates a community built around the videos people have shared. (Beginning to see the pattern here? These tools are all great for helping create a sense of community around a common theme.)
At my personal flickr site (try not to laugh too hard), you can find pictures of my college graduation, my cats, and even the staff Christmas party.
At Michael Stephens' blog, he's written about ten ways we can use flickr in libraries.
Did you know our YA Program has a flickr site? Visit it here to see pictures of some of our past programs, including our Halloween party this year, Pirate Night, and both of our Murder Mystery parties.
Your assignment:
Create your own flickr site. Then upload (when you are logged in, click on the triangle on the "You" tab, and select "upload pictures") some pictures from your own digital camera, or ask to borrow the library's camera. Be sure to take at least one picture of yourself!
Addition:Once you have created your flickr site, share it with the rest of us by going into the "Your Account" page (click on the little triangle on the "You" tab, and go down to "Your Account") and scroll down to "Your Own Flickr Site" in the right hand column. There you should be able to set an easy to remember address that you can give to other people. It will look something like "http://www.flickr.com/photos/your username".
Notice the "tagging" feature. We're going to be doing that ourselves a little bit later!
Good luck! And as always, don't be afraid to ask for help!
Flickr is a photo sharing site that uses profiles, comments, groups and tagging to create a community built around picture sharing. Just like blogs create a community built around your words, and YouTube creates a community built around the videos people have shared. (Beginning to see the pattern here? These tools are all great for helping create a sense of community around a common theme.)
At my personal flickr site (try not to laugh too hard), you can find pictures of my college graduation, my cats, and even the staff Christmas party.
At Michael Stephens' blog, he's written about ten ways we can use flickr in libraries.
Did you know our YA Program has a flickr site? Visit it here to see pictures of some of our past programs, including our Halloween party this year, Pirate Night, and both of our Murder Mystery parties.
Your assignment:
Create your own flickr site. Then upload (when you are logged in, click on the triangle on the "You" tab, and select "upload pictures") some pictures from your own digital camera, or ask to borrow the library's camera. Be sure to take at least one picture of yourself!
Addition:Once you have created your flickr site, share it with the rest of us by going into the "Your Account" page (click on the little triangle on the "You" tab, and go down to "Your Account") and scroll down to "Your Own Flickr Site" in the right hand column. There you should be able to set an easy to remember address that you can give to other people. It will look something like "http://www.flickr.com/photos/your username".
Notice the "tagging" feature. We're going to be doing that ourselves a little bit later!
Good luck! And as always, don't be afraid to ask for help!
Friday, December 1, 2006
Task 7: Online avatars
Welcome to the next task assignment for the Tech 2.0 challenge! Today's assignment will be a easy one (I swear!), so let's jump right in.
You may have noticed that many social networking sites offer you a place to upload some sort of profile picture. Many people will post actual digital photos of themselves, but what may be even more fun is creating your own avatar on one of the many sites available online.
Some examples:
So your assignment for this challenge: Make yourself an avatar! How you look, how you would like to look, it doesn't matter. It's your choice! After you've made one, share it with everyone by posting it in your blog.
That's it for today. Have a great weekend!
You may have noticed that many social networking sites offer you a place to upload some sort of profile picture. Many people will post actual digital photos of themselves, but what may be even more fun is creating your own avatar on one of the many sites available online.
Some examples:
- Yahoo! Avatars. These avatars are actually little flash videos. You can make them act out your mood on the yahoo site, but non-moving versions are available to put on your blog. Just click "export" on the right. If you have a Yahoo ID (or don't mind signing up for one) this is a fun site to check out.
- Meez. This site allows you to export their avatars if you create an account.
- Stortroopers. This Javascript avatar maker has three different wardrobes to chose from. Plainclothes, goth, or fashionista. After you are finished, you can email you avatar to yourself, save the file, and upload it wherever you want.
- WeeWorld. Home of the WeeMee, this site allows you to make a very cute avatar. In order to dress your WeeMee, you must sign up for an account. These can be exported into your blog.
- The Simpomaker. Ever wanted to be a character from the Simpsons? Now you can. You have to know how to make a screen capture to add this to your blog, but it's still fun to play with.
So your assignment for this challenge: Make yourself an avatar! How you look, how you would like to look, it doesn't matter. It's your choice! After you've made one, share it with everyone by posting it in your blog.
That's it for today. Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Tasks 5 & 6: Podcasts and YouTube
Welcome to the third task post! We've almost been at this for a week, and so far I have eleven people participating in the challenge. If you aren't participating yet, don't worry, there's still time!
Task 5: Podcasts
Websites aren't the only things that use RSS technology to get information to their users. Podcasts are audio files that also use RSS to distribute themselves to listeners. Like website feeds, you have to subscribe to the podcast's RSS feed, and the feed will automatically send you the file every time a new one is added. For an example, check out the Authors on Tour Podcast. Each episode can be downloaded individually, but you can also get the downloads by RSS. The feed can be found on the right hand side, under the subscribe heading.
Here are some good sites to search for podcasts:
You can also find podcasts on iTunes if you have this program downloaded on your computer.
You do not need an iPod to play podcasts! All you need is a music player. Windows Media Player is included with all Windows computers, and should be able to play the mp3 file for you.
So! Now that you know how RSS feeds work, getting podcasts will be easy!
Your task: Search some of the above podcast search engines for some podcasts that interest you. Add them to your bloglines account, the same way you added the website RSS feeds. (Hint: look for the orange icon!)
Task 6: YouTube and other video sites
As you may have heard, Time Magazine just named the video sharing website YouTube "invention of the year". This site allows users to upload video, comment on each others videos (including uploading their own videos in response to someone else's video) and put videos in their list of favorites so they can easily find it later! Another cool thing you can do with YouTube videos is post these videos in your blog to share with readers.
As an example I show you two videos. This one, posted by David Lee King, shows his frustration as he tries 14 times before he correctly ties his necktie. Viewers can comment about his video (one suggests he try a bowtie) or add it to their favorites. In response, Michael Sauers posts this video, doing it right on the very first time. Now, we anxiously await the video where the two sing alternating verses of Anything you can do I can do Better.
Your task: I was disappointed to find out that YouTube now requires you to register in order to put one of their videos on your blog. I don't want you to have to remember another login for something you might only use once. So if you would like to register, feel free to but otherwise, try Google video to find a video to post in your own blog. (After a google video finishes playing, you can click "post to blog" and fill in the blanks. It's that simple!)
Don't forget, use your blogs to respond to what you've been doing!
Task 5: Podcasts
Websites aren't the only things that use RSS technology to get information to their users. Podcasts are audio files that also use RSS to distribute themselves to listeners. Like website feeds, you have to subscribe to the podcast's RSS feed, and the feed will automatically send you the file every time a new one is added. For an example, check out the Authors on Tour Podcast. Each episode can be downloaded individually, but you can also get the downloads by RSS. The feed can be found on the right hand side, under the subscribe heading.
Here are some good sites to search for podcasts:
You can also find podcasts on iTunes if you have this program downloaded on your computer.
You do not need an iPod to play podcasts! All you need is a music player. Windows Media Player is included with all Windows computers, and should be able to play the mp3 file for you.
So! Now that you know how RSS feeds work, getting podcasts will be easy!
Your task: Search some of the above podcast search engines for some podcasts that interest you. Add them to your bloglines account, the same way you added the website RSS feeds. (Hint: look for the orange icon!)
Task 6: YouTube and other video sites
As you may have heard, Time Magazine just named the video sharing website YouTube "invention of the year". This site allows users to upload video, comment on each others videos (including uploading their own videos in response to someone else's video) and put videos in their list of favorites so they can easily find it later! Another cool thing you can do with YouTube videos is post these videos in your blog to share with readers.
As an example I show you two videos. This one, posted by David Lee King, shows his frustration as he tries 14 times before he correctly ties his necktie. Viewers can comment about his video (one suggests he try a bowtie) or add it to their favorites. In response, Michael Sauers posts this video, doing it right on the very first time. Now, we anxiously await the video where the two sing alternating verses of Anything you can do I can do Better.
Your task: I was disappointed to find out that YouTube now requires you to register in order to put one of their videos on your blog. I don't want you to have to remember another login for something you might only use once. So if you would like to register, feel free to but otherwise, try Google video to find a video to post in your own blog. (After a google video finishes playing, you can click "post to blog" and fill in the blanks. It's that simple!)
Don't forget, use your blogs to respond to what you've been doing!
Monday, November 27, 2006
Tasks 3 & 4: RSS and blog search engines
Welcome to the second assignment post for the Technology 2.0 challenge! If you've made it this far, congratulations! If this is your first time here, don't worry, you still have plenty of time to complete all 23 challenges! Last week, we had some problems, but through e-mail and chat (and maybe with a little help from your friends?) we've got it all figured out. Blogging will only get easier the longer you do it. So now, on with the next tasks!
Task 3: RSS and Bloglines
You might have noticed while you were exploring your blog, something that said RSS or Atom. Have you ever seen this symbol (
) in your browser, or on a website while you were surfing? These are all signals to let you know that a site has an RSS feed. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication", which allows for the easy delivery of web publications to something called an "aggregator". Instead of having to visit a website to check if it has been updated, sites with an RSS feed can send their updates to anyone who has subscribed to the feed. RSS feeds are written in a programming language called XML, and while you don't need to know that exactly, you do need to know that's why you cannot just read an RSS feed directly. Browsers used to show the files in all their XML glory, which looked like a whole lot of nonsense in your browser window. Now, newer browsers like Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.0 will tell you that you have clicked on an RSS feed, and that you need an aggregator to read it.
Here are some links that also provide introductions to RSS.
Before we explore RSS feeds, we must set up our aggregator. Some browsers have their own RSS aggregators (they might call them newsreaders), but for this program I suggest you open up a bloglines account. There will be some bloglines features we will be playing with later.
To get your bloglines account:
Now that you have an aggregator, we're going to add all of the participant blogs to your account! (Note: Many of the newer browsers will do these steps for you. At the end of the address bar, the little orange RSS square should appear when an RSS feed is available somewhere on the page. Click it, and follow the instructions to add it to your bloglines account. You may want to try this before you go on to see if your browser will cut out some steps for you.)
* Go to a participant blog (the list is up on the right hand side of this blog).
* Somewhere on the page (most of the time, it is the very bottom) there should be a link to the RSS feed. The majority of ours say "Subscribe to : Posts (Atom)".
* Right click on this link and choose "copy link" from the menu.
* In your bloglines account, click on "Add" in the left-hand sidebar.
* Right-click in the text box on the next page that loads, and select copy from the menu.
* After the RSS feed address shows up in the text box, click on the "Subscribe" button.
* If you want, you can play with some of the settings on the next page. You don't have to, though, and can just click the "Subscribe" button again.
This blog post on another blog gives wonderful step-by-step instructions complete with pictures if you're having trouble. They also walk you though some shortcuts, like what to do when you can't find the RSS link, but are pretty sure they have a feed. (Hint: You can try just typing the blog's web address into the subscribe text box to see if the RSS feed comes up automatically. If you go to one of our participant blogs without the RSS link, try this approach.) I highly recommend going here, if only to see some of the other things you can do with bloglines.
Task 4: Blog search engines
So now that you have an RSS aggregator, you need more things to read! Of course, you could always just go to my public feeds to see what cool tech blogs I'm reading, but maybe you want something a little more personalized. A good way to do this is to use a blog search engine. Blog search engines work just like regular search engines, except they specifically target blog entries.
Click around these sites and pick out some more feeds to add to your aggregator. If you don't like them, you can always unsubscribe.
After you have added several sites to your bloglines account, find your public feeds address (in the right hand window at the top there should be a "share" tab. Click there, and down at the bottom of the page there should be a web address under the heading "/public". That is your public feeds address. It shows all of the feeds you have listed as public. [to change a public feed to a private feed, click on the feed, and click "edit subscription" in the top right hand corner. There you will get the option to change it to private.]) and post it on your blog! We want to see what blogs you can't live without!
Made it this far? Great! Only 19 more to go!
Task 3: RSS and Bloglines
You might have noticed while you were exploring your blog, something that said RSS or Atom. Have you ever seen this symbol (
) in your browser, or on a website while you were surfing? These are all signals to let you know that a site has an RSS feed. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication", which allows for the easy delivery of web publications to something called an "aggregator". Instead of having to visit a website to check if it has been updated, sites with an RSS feed can send their updates to anyone who has subscribed to the feed. RSS feeds are written in a programming language called XML, and while you don't need to know that exactly, you do need to know that's why you cannot just read an RSS feed directly. Browsers used to show the files in all their XML glory, which looked like a whole lot of nonsense in your browser window. Now, newer browsers like Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.0 will tell you that you have clicked on an RSS feed, and that you need an aggregator to read it.Here are some links that also provide introductions to RSS.
- CNET Video: RSS – Feel the Need for Feeds (3:32) – a good over view of what RSS is and the benefits to users.
- Feed Me: A gentle introdustion to Internet feeds - a good tutorial from Palinet, a library cooperative
Before we explore RSS feeds, we must set up our aggregator. Some browsers have their own RSS aggregators (they might call them newsreaders), but for this program I suggest you open up a bloglines account. There will be some bloglines features we will be playing with later.
To get your bloglines account:
- * Go to http://www.bloglines.com.
* Click the "Sign Up" link in the middle of the page, or you can also click on the "register" link up in the right hand corner of the page.
* Fill in the required information on the sign-up page. Make sure you type in your e-mail correctly, as bloglines will send you an e-mail verifying this address.
* When you get the email, click on the link it gives you to verify your address.
Now that you have an aggregator, we're going to add all of the participant blogs to your account! (Note: Many of the newer browsers will do these steps for you. At the end of the address bar, the little orange RSS square should appear when an RSS feed is available somewhere on the page. Click it, and follow the instructions to add it to your bloglines account. You may want to try this before you go on to see if your browser will cut out some steps for you.)
* Go to a participant blog (the list is up on the right hand side of this blog).
* Somewhere on the page (most of the time, it is the very bottom) there should be a link to the RSS feed. The majority of ours say "Subscribe to : Posts (Atom)".
* Right click on this link and choose "copy link" from the menu.
* In your bloglines account, click on "Add" in the left-hand sidebar.
* Right-click in the text box on the next page that loads, and select copy from the menu.
* After the RSS feed address shows up in the text box, click on the "Subscribe" button.
* If you want, you can play with some of the settings on the next page. You don't have to, though, and can just click the "Subscribe" button again.
This blog post on another blog gives wonderful step-by-step instructions complete with pictures if you're having trouble. They also walk you though some shortcuts, like what to do when you can't find the RSS link, but are pretty sure they have a feed. (Hint: You can try just typing the blog's web address into the subscribe text box to see if the RSS feed comes up automatically. If you go to one of our participant blogs without the RSS link, try this approach.) I highly recommend going here, if only to see some of the other things you can do with bloglines.
Task 4: Blog search engines
So now that you have an RSS aggregator, you need more things to read! Of course, you could always just go to my public feeds to see what cool tech blogs I'm reading, but maybe you want something a little more personalized. A good way to do this is to use a blog search engine. Blog search engines work just like regular search engines, except they specifically target blog entries.
- * Bloglines has its very own search, found in the top right hand corner of the page.
* Technorati is another blog search engine, which includes a tag search. Don't worry it you don't understand the concept of tagging just yet, we'll deal with that in another task.
* Blogger also has its own blog search.
Click around these sites and pick out some more feeds to add to your aggregator. If you don't like them, you can always unsubscribe.
After you have added several sites to your bloglines account, find your public feeds address (in the right hand window at the top there should be a "share" tab. Click there, and down at the bottom of the page there should be a web address under the heading "/public". That is your public feeds address. It shows all of the feeds you have listed as public. [to change a public feed to a private feed, click on the feed, and click "edit subscription" in the top right hand corner. There you will get the option to change it to private.]) and post it on your blog! We want to see what blogs you can't live without!
Made it this far? Great! Only 19 more to go!
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