1. Blogs
Well it's a tool I am using right now to write and publish this post. Basically it's an online diary that I can publish and share text, video, photos and mp3's as long as these items are stored in my profile or have a URL. Most people use them voice personal opinions, information about a hobby or to publicize their businesses. However, some libraries use blogs to run online book clubs and announce news and activities hosted by library services to the communities they serve.
2. Wikis.
Are web sites that allow multiple contributors to edit and create content. Most famous wiki of them all is Wikipedia which is an online encyclopedia with content written and edited by it's user community. Wikis can be used by institutions to share knowledge and communicate over large geographic regions where there are a lot of employees spread in different time zones around the country or the world.
3. Podcasting
Podcasts are digital audio files delivered over the internet and usually are subscribed to by individuals and down loaded to a device such as a mp3 player, Ipod, notebook computer or a e-book reader. If you want to know more click on this video link from the Northern Illinois University:
It doesn't matter where the listener is geographically or the size of the audience. As the process for producing a pod cast is the same whether you are producing a show for a radio audience or creating a private broadcast for a bunch of friends. Podcasts are useful for students when they are studying as they can access these at a time that suits them. Great if you are a distance student and your campus is 400 miles away and you cannot go to a lecture or want to know how to access a library service but can't physically get there!
4. What are tags?
Tags are a label that content creators and sharers assign to images, blog posts, videos, music and podcasts etc to enable others to find the content and share it with others. Tagging is used on social media platforms such as Flicker, Facebook, Delicious, Technorati and blogs just to name a few. Please feel free to write in the comments if you know of some different social media sites that use tagging. We can add them to the list. One of the things you will notice when belonging to a social community that tags is the development of tags with common meaning in your community. This is called a folksonomie and the term was coined by Thomas Vanderwal in 2007. For further information see: http://www.vanderwal.net/folksonomy.html Folksonomies are useful because they enable you the consumer of the content to find similar content in your community.
5. What a QR Codes?
They are a type of matrix code designed to store digital information in hard copy. You can use the stored information to ring a phone number, access information on a website and download digital media and information etc on a smart phone with an internet connection. You can put these QR codes on any object and link that object to information posted a blog, website or geographical location. Also the if content changes on the link the code points to it doesn't matter. So content can stay fresh and appealing. This is important as they are commonly used to market products to consumers.
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| From: http://www.j6design.com.au/ClientArea/CreateanduseQRcodes |
Then to read your code you will need to download an app : QR Code Reader App
Well what relevance do QR codes have in public Libraries? Take a look at this innovative project in the San Francisco Area called Snap and Go. [CCC Snap N Go]
This public library service is using the QR codes to enables users with a smart phone to snap a code and send a text message for quick reference, download e-audio books directly to your phone to listen to, participate in a library service sponsored scavenger hunt and publicize winning youth medal prize books. I think this is a good way to enrich tech savvy library customers experience of library services and connecting both the digital and physical aspects of libraries. What do you think? It's innovative yet doesn't cost a lot of money.
6. What are Mashups?
Mashups are the use of more than one online media source to create a new digital object or service. ABC's Question and Answer program has encouraged it's viewers viewers to create short online political parodies or comments to show to the audience at the end of the show. See: ABC's Q&A Mashup Site It's a good example of a form of mashup. The other forms include watch people shop using real time order data and google maps on Book Depository - Shopping. There's also a map featuring disaster alerts from around the world on http://www.gdacs.org/ and allows allows users to down load an app to get alerts and enter information in the field. I think at the moment I don't see the relevance of mashups to being used in libraries. May be just as a component in a visual media festival hosted by a public library to encourage youth to discover library services.
All this re-use of data is good to a point but along the way you may encounter copyright which controls who can legitimately copy and use intellectual property created by another person or entity. However, because of the good will of people who are interested in sharing content to create new digital objects an alternative set of licenses was set up called Creative Commons Licenses. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ This enables the copyright owner to grant copyright permission for content reuse in a standard way to people who wish to re-use their content to create new works. This is particularly pertinent to artists, website creators, publishers, government agencies and broadcasters as it allows owners of content to grant licenses to artists to make new works from creative commons material as long as the license conditions are adhered to.
7. What are RSS Feeds?
RSS feeds are commonly known as Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. These feeds enable people to subscribe to a site and have the latest news or content delivered to their feed reader either on their computer or via the web. Most people use an aggregation service such a Google Reader, MyYahoo!, Newsgator, Bloglines or Feed Burner on the web. This saves the reader having to visit their bookmarked sites frequently to see if there has been new content published.
8. What are Gaming and 3D Virtual Worlds?
Hmmm, I've been experimenting with a virtual world called Second Life. Second Life is a computer based virtual world that enables you to create, experience and play games in a 3D Like environment. Using a software application program called a viewer you create, customize and use an avatar to 'live' and interact in this virtual world. I've read all the literature provided my university about Second Life and it's ability to become an immersive learning tool. However, I am still unconvinced of it's usefulness as a possible new channel for public outreach and corporate training programs. This is because in the current climate of budgetary constraint it is unlikely that such a project would get off the ground in my library system. Due to the staff hours required to receive traing and build a library on Info Island, maintain and upgrade content and features of the virtual library and the limited ability for the virtual library to provide real world services to clients. Although there is scope to include free ebooks from Gutenburg, host virtual book clubs, provide virtual reference and group instructional & collaboration sessions. The difficulty would be to convince government representatives that such a project would benefit the local community. Let me explain why..... Public libraries are seen as a democratizer of information and my community has disparate income groups and diverse range of customers it services. The electronic services provided have to reach as many customers as possible with in the budget constraints of the funds provided by the government. Therefore, we have to design our services for use on the most common platforms available in order to maximize value for the tax payers we service. Budget restrictions is just one barrier to setting up a virtual library in Second Life. I found the steep learning curve required to dress and move an avatar very frustrating. It is far simpler for me to visit the local library website on the internet, download a book and start reading it in half an hour. Than the time it took to dress my avatar, learn how to move around and be a tourist on Second Life and I am not a new person to using a computer! The time it took to learn these interactions would be a barrier to those customers who are less proficient surfing the web or using a computer. While I may sound like a nay sayer, I could be proved wrong in the next 10 years if we all start conversing in the metaverse just like we tweet and update our status today. However, I don't see a critical mass of our local population avataring around in Second Life just yet that would justify creating a virtual Second Life Public Library branch. I may re-evaluate my opinion at a later stage after doing some more exploration in Second Life.
9. What is Photo and video hosting?
Well it goes no further to say that almost everyone on the internet has shared a photo or a video through a hosting service or a social networking site. Some of the familiar names are Flickr, Youtube, Photobucket and Snapfish. These sites and others like them have Web 2.0 features that allow users to organize, tag and comment on content according to community interest.
Current statistics indicate that there are more people watching video streamed from the internet than traditional broadcast television. See: More people watching internet videos on TV than on computers. So it isn't surprising to see that commercial television has introduced streaming media catch up services to capture audiences who are time shifting programs on PVR's. Also that the commercial networks are discussing a combined video on demand hub for Australia. See: Australia to get a unified free to air TV streaming hub. The question is how will content be distributed between free to air and video on demand. Or will be see more new content migrate to online streaming video only? How will this affect libraries? Possibly there will be a demand for libraries to have multimedia spaces where customers can view content on demand. May be library staff would have to become curators of such a space?
10. What is Voip and Video conferencing?
Voip stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol allows internet users with appropriate hardware and software to make low cost calls using the internet. This is an extremely useful tools for making calls over long distances and when combined with using a web cam makes it possible to video conference. One of the most popular service providers on the internet of this service is Skype. Some universities are using it for reference outreach activities enabling students to discuss reference questions with Librarian on campus who may be hundreds of kilometers away. Just think if I could do that with the library staff in Wagga! Not to mention a university near me was considering delivering music teaching sessions from New York to local students in the place of local teaching staff all through the use of video conferenceing. Although I do know of RDA training being delivered via webinars by one enterprising information education company! Some of my colleagues commented that it was a time and cost effective way of getting training when their budgets wouldn't allow them to travel. Voip and video conferencing definitely a cost effective outreach and training tool for organizations!
References:
Vanderwal, T. (2007)., Folksonomies: Coinage and definition. Retrieved from: http://www.vanderwal.net/folksonomy.html
What is a Podcast: A brief introduction. [2007]. Northern Illinois University. Retrieved from: http://youtu.be/tQFKNcdCdLM
Hempshire, M. (2010).. Ready, Set, Snap N Go at Contra Costa County Library. Retrieved from: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newslettersnewsletterbucketsljteen/888194-444/ready_set_snap__go.html.csp
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