Uncategorized « Thoughts of a [wannabe] librarian

Riding High Amongst the Waves*

Google Wave seems to be just about the hottest thing on the internet at the moment. People have been eagerly waiting that magic invite dropping into their inbox just so they can get onboard the Next Big Thing. Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to receive an invite care of a fellow Tweeter (Twitter certainly has its advantages!). So what is Google Wave actually like?

Google Wave - The Next Big Thing?

Well, to be honest, I haven’t spent a great deal of time on it so far so I’m not really in a position to give a full and fair appraisal. That said, I’m still going to share some initial thoughts on it. The first thing I feel I should point out is that it is quite bewildering when you first start playing with it. When presented with the homepage (see image above), it took a little while to work out how it was supposed to work. That is maybe why Google recommends you watch a ridiculously long video before you even contemplate diving in (do you see what I did there?!). However, I did find this handy little video that talks you through some of the main features of Google Wave:

Although it is a little confusing to start off with, there is potential there for it to be a very useful collaborative tool. By inviting others to join you on a ‘wave’ you can work together on a shared piece of work or just communicate in real-time (a bit like MSN Messenger but you can actually see what they are typing as they type it). There are a number of gadgets that can be incorporated into ‘waves’ including Sudoku puzzles and chess. It is also possible to embed Google Maps which enables people on the same ‘wave’ to collaborate on a map (which is quite useful and very easily done). I think Mashable’s description of Google Wave sums it up quite nicely:

It combines aspects of email, instant messaging, wikis, web chat, social networking, and project management to build one elegant, in-browser communication client.

So pretty much all the best elements of Web 2.0 rolled into one.

It will be interesting to see how Google Wave develops over the coming weeks and months as more people get onboard. It certainly has great potential to be a very useful tool, as long as people are prepared to overcome the initial hurdles. I’ll certainly continue to play around with it and share more thoughts on it as time goes by. Hopefully I’ll be able to share something a little more comprehensive than this effort!

There is also a Complete Guide to Google Wave available that may also help with getting to grips with it.

* I have been wondering how I would incorporate my love of Pearl Jam into one of my blog posts….looks like I managed it!

Excuses, excuses

April 28, 2009 at 11:34 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Apologies for not posting much recently (either here or on other outlets), my wife has recently given birth and I am rather tied up at the moment. Will post more here soon (and on Twitter as well!).

Diigo and Delicious

April 14, 2009 at 10:16 pm | In Web 2.0, web tools | 4 Comments
Tags: bookmarks, Delicious, Diigo, social networks, tagging

After seeing a lot of stuff about Diigo floating around in the ether, I thought I should sign up and give it a try (as I do with these web 2.0 tools!). So far I have been reasonably happy with it, although it does seem to lack some functionality that I rather like on Delicious (I have still kept my Delicious account running whilst I play with Diigo). For example, Diigo doesn’t suggest tags like Delicious does (at least as far as I can fathom). When I tag a page on Delicious, not only does it offer recommended tags (both from other users applied tags and my own), it will also predict what tag I am adding as I type it. This makes my life much easier as it keeps my tags neatly organised. With Delicious I can start typing in a tag and see instantly if this is a tag I would normally use (Delicious informs you how many times that tag has been used). Without this functionality, I find myself staring blankly at the screen trying to work out what tags I would normally apply to an item.

Despite this minor flaw, Diigo definitely has one advantage over Delicious: the ability to highlight text on a web page. Many a time I have bookmarked a site due to a small passage on the page. The beauty of Diigo is that you can highlight the relevant passage for future relevance instead of having to scour the entire page at a later date, desperately trying to remember why you bookmarked the page in the first place. This is certainly a massive advantage over Delicious and one that has made Diigo a resource worthy of further investigation.

For now, I will reserve my judgement until I have had more time to play around with it. It certainly seems a useful tool, but to me it lacks Delicious’ simplicity (which may be a strength for many). Maybe in time I will ditch Delicious in favour of Diigo. At the moment I’m not so sure.

A Basic Guide to Twitter

March 17, 2009 at 12:13 am | In Web 2.0 | 6 Comments
Tags: Facebook, hints, social networks, TweetDeck, tweets, Twitter, Twitterfeed, Web 2.0

I have noticed a number of people signing up for Twitter or asking me about it in recent days and weeks and, undeterred by the amount of blog posts already written on the subject, I thought I would wade in with a few tips on how to use it (there’s a glossary of terms at the end).

1. Once you have signed up for an account and decided on a username, ensure you add a photo to your profile. I tend to be very wary of Tweeters who do not have a picture. Generally speaking, it tends to be spammers that don’t add one and consequently, if you don’t have a picture, many people won’t even consider following you. So, in short, if you want to make the most of what Twitter has to offer, add a photo pronto!

2. Perhaps the most important tip of all. Once you have chosen a username, make sure you fill in the ‘one line bio’ box in the settings screen. I cannot emphasise enough just how important this is. This is what will essentially attract fellow Tweeters to follow you. Not only fellow Tweeters, but fellow Tweeters that you will actually be interested in following. For example, I am interested in connecting with librarians, so I indicated in my bio some information that will attract other Tweeters to follow me: “ILS student, wannabe librarian, ebook owner and Web 2.0 addict.” By inputting such information, fellow users will instantly be able to see if you will tweet the sort of things that they are interested in. Complete this section appropriately, and you will soon attract other users. Furthermore, by completing this section properly, you will really start to see the benefits of being on Twitter.

3. Once you have sorted out your profile, it’s time to find some other Tweeters. One of the best ways of finding people to follow is by using Twitter Advanced Search. By completing the search form, you can easily find other users who ‘tweet’ about things that you are interested in or who live in your area.

4. Keep your tweets public if you want to gain followers. If you make them private, no-one will follow you making it less likely to discover anyone that may be of interest.

5. To send someone a public reply, use ‘@’. For example, using @ijclark (my username) will ensure that I get a message and that anyone else who follows you will also be able to see that message on your profile page. Furthermore, those that follow both of us will potentially be able to see any @replies (this can be turned off in the settings menu).

6. To send a private message, use direct message (use ‘D’ followed by a space and then the username of the person the message is directed at). This ensures that only the sender and the recipient will be able to see the message.

7. To manage your tweets more effectively, sign up for TweetDeck. This is a desktop application that allows the user to split tweets into columns making them easier to follow as well as making it easier to send @replies, messages and ‘retweets’.

8. If you have accounts with other social networking sites, eg Delicious, LastFM etc, sign up for Twitterfeed to enable recent activity to be posted to your profile. For example, if you ‘love’ a song on LastFM, you can set Twitterfeed to post this activity straight to your profile. Likewise, add a link to your Delicious page and that too can be directed to your Twitter profile via Twitterfeed. This also applies if you have a blog. Add the RSS feed to Twitterfeed and a link to your blog post will be added to your Twitter profile.

9. Link Twitter to Facebook. By adding the Twitter application on Facebook your Twitter updates will also be posted on your Facebook status…handily killing two birds with one stone.

10. Set up your Twitter account to enable mobile updates. This makes it far more instantaneous than solely updating when you are at a computer…a massive benefit when using Twitter as the immediacy of tweets are a crucial component in making it such a useful tool.

11. Want to share a website you have found? TinyURL, bit.ly and other shortening tools are essential for shortening web addresses and enabling them to fit within your 140 character limit.

That should be enough to get you started. It is quite common to sign up for Twitter and think ‘Eh?’, before giving up and wondering what all the fuss was about. It’s only after you have been using it properly that you begin to see why Twitter is such an excellent tool for connecting to other people. Since joining I have found it very beneficial, especially in terms of my job as I have been able to pick up various hints and tips I wouldn’t have been aware of previous to signing up. As long as you use Twitter properly, you too will find it a wonderful tool for communicating with others. It’s not just about telling people about what you are having for lunch…..it is much more than that.

Glossary

Twitter: A social networking site that enables users to connect with others using short messages of 140 characters.

Tweets: The messages that are posted on Twitter.

Tweeter: Someone who writes ‘tweets’ (short messages) on Twitter.

bio: Gives other Tweeters an idea of what you are likely to ‘tweet’ about. Absolutely essential to fill this in.

@[username]: Sends public message to that user.

D [username]: Sends private message to that user.

Retweet: Resending a tweet that someone else has written.

TweetDeck: Organises ‘tweets’ into groups making it easier to manage.

Twitterfeed: A tool that sends RSS updates to your Twitter profile (including blog posts and activity from other social networking websites).

TinyURL: A tool that shortens web addresses.

Public Libraries and Democracy

February 5, 2009 at 7:42 pm | In Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Tags: democracy, government, information, information divide, Public libraries, recession

I am currently in the middle of reading Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky and Edward S Herman and yesterday I watched the re-released documentary on DVD. Given the subject matter of this work (Chomsky and Herman argue that as media outlets are run by corporations, they are under the same pressures as corporations leading to what they call the ‘propaganda model’), it got me thinking about our role in the exchange of ideas and information in a democratic society.

I have long been interested in the idea that librarians are a vital element in a democracy. Perhaps never more so than now, in the ‘information age’. An age where there is such a wealth of information out there, it is very difficult for the average person to navigate through it. After all do we really all have the time to sift through the mass of information out there to keep up to speed with current affairs and world events? Not only does this information need to be ’sifted’, it also needs to be evaluated and analysed to determine its accuracy. How can anyone be expected to spare the time to analyse and evaluate the plethora of information that is out there?

And that is, I guess, where we step in (to a certain degree). Acting as a conduit between the library user and the wealth of information out there is a big responsibility. Libraries have an important role in ensuring that all sections of society are brought into the democratic process. Indeed, in 1990, the American Library Association adopted a policy entitled ‘Library Services for the Poor’ which stated:

…it is crucial that libraries recognize their role in enabling poor people to participate fully in a democratic society, by utilizing a wide variety of available resources and strategies.

Former US President, Franklin D Roosevelt, also underlined the importance of public libraries in a democratic society, describing them as

the great symbols of the freedom of the mind….essential to the functioning of a democratic society.

Libraries ensure that everyone can gain access to information and thus partake fully in the democratic process. The role of a librarian is, therefore, absolutely crucial in a democracy. Without this access, the electorate become ill-informed in the actions of their representatives and are unable to partake in the democratic process. This is particularly a concern for the poorest in society who cannot afford books, let alone internet connections. Whilst the affluent can keep in touch with the democratic process with ease, the poor are left isolated and effectively disenfranchised.

Whilst I was having a think about the role of a librarian in democracies, I came across a journal article by John Abdul Kargbo [sub required], a librarian at the University of Sierra Leone. Coming from the perspective of a nation that, at the time of writing (1999), had only recently restored a democratic system and was at the centre of a bitter conflict, it was quite interesting to see the importance that they feel libraries have in such a system. Kargbo writes passionately about how simply installing a civilian government is not enough to create a democracy. As he states:

For democracy to succeed it is crucial that the institutions to support and invigorate the democratic process or ideals must exist.

These institutions, he reasons, include public libraries:

Libraries are powerful instruments of social and political change; they can help in the demands of democracy and the spread of literacy.

He goes on to reflect on just how important equality of access to information is in the democratic decision making process and the importance of the librarians role in that process. I think it is very easy for people in the West to forget just what an important role libraries play in society. Politicians (and elements of the media) have become obsessed with targets and tangible outcomes. The number of books that are issued by a public library has become the yardstick by which many measure the success or failure of a public library. However, the contribution a library makes to local society goes way beyond how many books are issued over the course of the year. There are certain intangible elements that need to be considered that cannot just be assessed in terms of concrete figures.

Furthermore, not only do they provide an important function in democracies, they are also essential in times of economic hardship. During a recession, libraries can support the unemployed in gaining new skills and finding employment. This certainly appears to be reflected in the news that library usage has increased in some authorities. Cumbria, for example, has recently announced that they have seen a 39% increase in new joins between September and December. Even then, however, there was still talk of the authority closing libraries – proof that even when the tangibles are impressive, authorities still consider closure.

Public libraries do play an important role in our society. They help to bring people into the democratic process and keep them informed as citizens about the actions of their representatives. They also play a vital role in supporting the most vulnerable during a recession and provide them with the tools they need to develop their skills and gain employment. In times of affluence these facts are easily forgotten. In times of recession we are reminded of their value to the community. Public libraries have not lost their relevance, maybe some of us have just forgotten what made them relevant.

Hello

August 17, 2008 at 9:53 pm | In Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Tags: craziness, hello, libraries

Hi. Thanks for dropping by my brand new blog. Hopefully I will shortly be filling in this space with a variety of thoughts on my experiences as I work towards completing my MSc in Information and Library Studies. I’m sure it will be a rocky ride (the first year has certainly had some ups and downs), but hopefully this blog wil act as a vital crutch as I find my way through the crazy world of libraries.