Member's Blogs
If you don't see your blog listed below, send its address to Eric.
squirrelontree.blogspot.com/
smith65reunion.blogspot.com/
ck-graphics.blogspot.com/
birdsatmyfeeder.blogspot.com
northbrook8-lynn.blogspot.com
nbproject-nancy.blogspot.com/
yellowstonenationalpark09.blogspot.com/
annweston.blogspot.com
EvilredGti.blogspot.com
itspepsitime.blogspot.com
phoebequotes.blogspot.com/
elcric-circle.blogspot.com
quinciana.blogspot.com/
nb8-amk.blogspot.com/
nannygoatsblog.blogspot.com/
dynbk8.blogspot.com/
hlevin.blogspot.com/
photographybygwyn.blogspot.com
bigtexblogs.blogspot.com/
tsumommy.blogspot.com
amyblogorama.blogspot.com/
theearshaveit.blogspot.com/
librarymamarama.blogspot.com/
ruthienorthbrook.blogspot.com/
annafillmore.blogspot.com
nbklibnews.blogspot.com/
filminfo8.blogspot.com/
hollysfollies-holly-holly.blogspot.com/
northbrook8-lynn.blogspot.com
librarianhealth.blogspot.com/
multimediadepartment.blogspot.com
musicloverreva.blogspot.com
squirrelontree.blogspot.com/
smith65reunion.blogspot.com/
ck-graphics.blogspot.com/
birdsatmyfeeder.blogspot.com
northbrook8-lynn.blogspot.com
nbproject-nancy.blogspot.com/
yellowstonenationalpark09.blogspot.com/
annweston.blogspot.com
EvilredGti.blogspot.com
itspepsitime.blogspot.com
phoebequotes.blogspot.com/
elcric-circle.blogspot.com
quinciana.blogspot.com/
nb8-amk.blogspot.com/
nannygoatsblog.blogspot.com/
dynbk8.blogspot.com/
hlevin.blogspot.com/
photographybygwyn.blogspot.com
bigtexblogs.blogspot.com/
tsumommy.blogspot.com
amyblogorama.blogspot.com/
theearshaveit.blogspot.com/
librarymamarama.blogspot.com/
ruthienorthbrook.blogspot.com/
annafillmore.blogspot.com
nbklibnews.blogspot.com/
filminfo8.blogspot.com/
hollysfollies-holly-holly.blogspot.com/
northbrook8-lynn.blogspot.com
librarianhealth.blogspot.com/
multimediadepartment.blogspot.com
musicloverreva.blogspot.com
Podcasts
The word podcast refers audio broadcast that is distributed over the Internet. Most of these are non-musical, but some musicians have regular musical podcasts from their blogs. That takes us to what really differentiates a podcast from any other mp3 audio file on the Web, which is its method of distribution: our new friend RSS. To put it simply, mp3 + RSS = podcast. There are also vodcasts, which are video podcasts.
Common Craft is here once again. This time it's a great video explaining Podcasting (consider the video a vodcast about podcasts).
Scratch a blogger and you just might find a podcaster: there are an enormous number of folks out there podcasting. Some very informally and some very professionally. Podcasts can take many forms and can last anywhere from one minute to one hour (and beyond). Also, podcasts are time shifted and can be accessed at listener discretion.
Despite the word podcast's derivation from Apple's iPod, you don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts. A PC or Mac with headphones or speakers will do the trick.
Subscribing to and downloading podcasts can be done in two ways. The first method, which is used in our quest below, is to subscribe to a podcast in your feed reader, just as you would do with any other news site. When a new podcast is available, you can then choose to listen to it on your PC or download for transfer to an mp3 player.
The second, and more common, method is to use a podcatcher, an application that downloads your podcasts automatically for you. iTunes is the service most associated with finding and subscribing to podcasts, but if you don't have iTunes installed, there are plenty of other options. Penn State University has a list of choices.
Many libraries and institutions of higher education are now using this technology as a method of distributing promotional and educational content. The Library Success Wiki has an extensive list of public libraries, academic libraries, and affiliated organizations that are podcasting. Keep this list in mind for our quest. Sarah Long is now vodcasting her What’s New in Libraries series and other programs.
Engage in lifelong learning with Learn Out Loud educational podcasts. Browse the "Podcast Directory" on the left hand side. You can also see the most popular podcasts as you scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Explore f these podcast directories to find a pod or vodcast to suit your personal interests.
Podcast Alley is one fine example of a podcast directory.
Vodcast TV is an extensive vodcast directory
Your Learning Quest
Just for fun, you can substitute vodcasts for any of these podcast quests.
1. Take a look at two or three of the podcast directories listed above and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. Aim for two library-related podcasts and one for your personal interest.
2. Sign into your Google Reader account. Add the RSS feed for your selected podcasts to your Reader by clicking "Add Subscription" and pasting in the URL of the podcast.
3. You should now have new items appearing in your Reader. To listen to your new podcasts, click the "Play" button within each new podcast.
4. Share your podcast experience with your co-workers. Create a blog post about your discoveries.
o Which library podcasts did you listen to?
o Do you see podcasting as a useful tool for the Northbrook Public Library?
o Any ideas about which topics our patrons might be interested in hearing?
o Do you have any other experience with listening to or creating podcasts?
BONUS CHALLENGE:
Did you really think that we would stop at 9 things? Yes, there is a secret 10th (sound of insane laughter Bwahahahahaaa!) Try it if you dare. You’ll notice that there is no link to it in our menu. That’s so we can keep it as a secret reward for our most insatiable learners.
Common Craft is here once again. This time it's a great video explaining Podcasting (consider the video a vodcast about podcasts).
Scratch a blogger and you just might find a podcaster: there are an enormous number of folks out there podcasting. Some very informally and some very professionally. Podcasts can take many forms and can last anywhere from one minute to one hour (and beyond). Also, podcasts are time shifted and can be accessed at listener discretion.
Despite the word podcast's derivation from Apple's iPod, you don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts. A PC or Mac with headphones or speakers will do the trick.
Subscribing to and downloading podcasts can be done in two ways. The first method, which is used in our quest below, is to subscribe to a podcast in your feed reader, just as you would do with any other news site. When a new podcast is available, you can then choose to listen to it on your PC or download for transfer to an mp3 player.
The second, and more common, method is to use a podcatcher, an application that downloads your podcasts automatically for you. iTunes is the service most associated with finding and subscribing to podcasts, but if you don't have iTunes installed, there are plenty of other options. Penn State University has a list of choices.
Many libraries and institutions of higher education are now using this technology as a method of distributing promotional and educational content. The Library Success Wiki has an extensive list of public libraries, academic libraries, and affiliated organizations that are podcasting. Keep this list in mind for our quest. Sarah Long is now vodcasting her What’s New in Libraries series and other programs.
Engage in lifelong learning with Learn Out Loud educational podcasts. Browse the "Podcast Directory" on the left hand side. You can also see the most popular podcasts as you scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Explore f these podcast directories to find a pod or vodcast to suit your personal interests.
Podcast Alley is one fine example of a podcast directory.
Vodcast TV is an extensive vodcast directory
Your Learning Quest
Just for fun, you can substitute vodcasts for any of these podcast quests.
1. Take a look at two or three of the podcast directories listed above and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. Aim for two library-related podcasts and one for your personal interest.
2. Sign into your Google Reader account. Add the RSS feed for your selected podcasts to your Reader by clicking "Add Subscription" and pasting in the URL of the podcast.
3. You should now have new items appearing in your Reader. To listen to your new podcasts, click the "Play" button within each new podcast.
4. Share your podcast experience with your co-workers. Create a blog post about your discoveries.
o Which library podcasts did you listen to?
o Do you see podcasting as a useful tool for the Northbrook Public Library?
o Any ideas about which topics our patrons might be interested in hearing?
o Do you have any other experience with listening to or creating podcasts?
BONUS CHALLENGE:
Did you really think that we would stop at 9 things? Yes, there is a secret 10th (sound of insane laughter Bwahahahahaaa!) Try it if you dare. You’ll notice that there is no link to it in our menu. That’s so we can keep it as a secret reward for our most insatiable learners.
Northbrook Online
Whew! You’re just about there. All that cat swinging and puppy riding is almost over. This will be a bit of a different sort of discovery and learning quest. The library has already started using some Web 2.0 platforms with AskAway and Homework Help. In 2009 we are planning to completely revamp our entire website to make it all more 2.0 interactive with patrons and easier to update by the staff.
Our virtual library is open to the public, well, virtually 24 hours a day. Every year we are expanding the services that people can access from anywhere they have Internet access. Our web presence isn’t just limited to our website, but extends through Facebook, LibraryThing and Wikipedia and even on to what others post about us. The physical library will remain important but the importance of our participation in the Internet. As libraries continue to evolve and adapt to a rapidly changing world, they are making an effort to meet users where they are, and these days that means having a strong presence on the web.
The library’s website is the most important element of our web presence. Besides the online catalog, which allows people to find materials and manage their library account from their own computer, the website offers a wealth of information and services for just about everyone. These include community information, downloadable digital books, electronic research tools and reference services, recommendations and booklists for all age levels and all material formats, an events calendar, homework help and more.
Take some time to explore the website and discover what's available on it. Click on the various categories on the menus. Familiarize yourself with all that the website has to offer. Take a look at both our community and library areas of the site.
Take a look at this wiki with links to some of the best library websites out there. The public library "hall of fame" is particularly revealing. Do you see any good ideas that we can add to our own library website?
Your Learning Quest
1. One of the newest aspects of the library website is the downloadable digital book collection. Anyone with a Northbrook Library card can download ebooks, eaudiobooks and even some videos to their personal computer and even transfer books onto their own mp3 player for listening on-the-go! The challenge for this task will be to download a book to your computer and try it out either on your computer or an mp3 player. If you don’t have an MP3 player, just download and play it on a computer.
2. Write a new blog post and share your thoughts on the library's website. What aspect of the website did you like the most? Do you have any ideas for new services we can provide through the virtual branch? What other ways can the library improve its web presence?
Congratulations! you've finished both the meat and potatoes portions of the Northbrook 8 Learning Quest. Now for you intrepid folks who are still hungry to learn, we have the dessert portion: Podcasts.
Our virtual library is open to the public, well, virtually 24 hours a day. Every year we are expanding the services that people can access from anywhere they have Internet access. Our web presence isn’t just limited to our website, but extends through Facebook, LibraryThing and Wikipedia and even on to what others post about us. The physical library will remain important but the importance of our participation in the Internet. As libraries continue to evolve and adapt to a rapidly changing world, they are making an effort to meet users where they are, and these days that means having a strong presence on the web.
The library’s website is the most important element of our web presence. Besides the online catalog, which allows people to find materials and manage their library account from their own computer, the website offers a wealth of information and services for just about everyone. These include community information, downloadable digital books, electronic research tools and reference services, recommendations and booklists for all age levels and all material formats, an events calendar, homework help and more.
Take some time to explore the website and discover what's available on it. Click on the various categories on the menus. Familiarize yourself with all that the website has to offer. Take a look at both our community and library areas of the site.
Take a look at this wiki with links to some of the best library websites out there. The public library "hall of fame" is particularly revealing. Do you see any good ideas that we can add to our own library website?
Your Learning Quest
1. One of the newest aspects of the library website is the downloadable digital book collection. Anyone with a Northbrook Library card can download ebooks, eaudiobooks and even some videos to their personal computer and even transfer books onto their own mp3 player for listening on-the-go! The challenge for this task will be to download a book to your computer and try it out either on your computer or an mp3 player. If you don’t have an MP3 player, just download and play it on a computer.
2. Write a new blog post and share your thoughts on the library's website. What aspect of the website did you like the most? Do you have any ideas for new services we can provide through the virtual branch? What other ways can the library improve its web presence?
Congratulations! you've finished both the meat and potatoes portions of the Northbrook 8 Learning Quest. Now for you intrepid folks who are still hungry to learn, we have the dessert portion: Podcasts.
Wikis
Wikis are a great web-based tool for multiple-participant projects. You've probably heard of Wikipedia, a great example of a wiki. Wiki comes from the Hawaiian word Wiki wiki which means fast, and that's exactly what a wiki is. Generally, a wiki is a collection of web pages that multiple people can contribute to and edit. Wikis can be used for a closed group, like a family or company, or they can be open for any one to use like Wikipedia. Check out How Wikis Work for a nice introduction to wikis. In fact, more than one-third of American adult internet users (36%) consult the citizen-generated online encyclopedia Wikipedia, according to a new nationwide survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. If you’re part of this 36% who use Wikipedia, you’re already on your way to understanding wikis.
Once again, our friends at Common Craft can start us along:
A number of sites are available to create your own free wiki, including:
www.pbwiki.com
www.wetpaint.com
www.wikispace.com
Now that you know a bit about how wikis, you’re excited about the possibilities for using them in libraries. Take a look at how these libraries are using wikis to improve staff work or provide services to their patrons:
• Ohio University Libraries Biz wiki
• University of Minnesota Libraries Staff Website
• CCS Wiki – formerly the Directors Station Wiki
Learning Quest
1. The best way to learn about wikis is to actually contribute to one. We’ve wiki just so you have a place to experiment and play. Go to our wiki at nbkpl8.pbwiki.com and have a look around. If you want to edit a page, click the "Edit" at the top of the page. You’ll need to get the password on Staff Development Day. Take advantage of the help page to learn more about using this wiki. They also have some nice videos on editing and other features. Remember, this wiki belongs to all of us, so don't be afraid to take ownership by making a contribution!
2. One of the main principles of web 2.0 is "radical trust" in people. Darlene Fichter, in her Blog on the Side, defines radical trust this way: "Radical trust is about trusting the community. We know that abuse can happen, but we trust (radically) that the community and participation will work. In the real world, we know that vandalism happens but we still put art and sculpture up in our parks. As an online community we come up with safeguards or mechanisms that help keep open contribution and participation working."
Write a blog entry sharing your thoughts on this idea of "radical trust" and wikis in general. What do you think of Wikipedia? Would you, or do you, trust and use it to find information? Can you think of ways wikis can be used by libraries to offer something to its patrons? Can you think of ways that a wiki can be helpful to you and your department?
• BONUS CHALLENGES (optional)
If you’re up for it, try visiting Wikipedia and editing an article on a topic that you're familiar with. Here’s an article about how to edit a page in Wikipedia. NOTE: You'll need to create a Wikipedia user name and password to add or edit content.
Add additional content to our Northbrook Public Library page on Wikipedia.
Go back to the CCS Wiki and add a helpful article about working with WorkFlows, iBistro or Director's Station.
Be sure to blog a notice if you do any of these things.
Hey, there's a really easy one coming up: Northbrook Online.
Once again, our friends at Common Craft can start us along:
A number of sites are available to create your own free wiki, including:
www.pbwiki.com
www.wetpaint.com
www.wikispace.com
Now that you know a bit about how wikis, you’re excited about the possibilities for using them in libraries. Take a look at how these libraries are using wikis to improve staff work or provide services to their patrons:
• Ohio University Libraries Biz wiki
• University of Minnesota Libraries Staff Website
• CCS Wiki – formerly the Directors Station Wiki
Learning Quest
1. The best way to learn about wikis is to actually contribute to one. We’ve wiki just so you have a place to experiment and play. Go to our wiki at nbkpl8.pbwiki.com and have a look around. If you want to edit a page, click the "Edit" at the top of the page. You’ll need to get the password on Staff Development Day. Take advantage of the help page to learn more about using this wiki. They also have some nice videos on editing and other features. Remember, this wiki belongs to all of us, so don't be afraid to take ownership by making a contribution!
2. One of the main principles of web 2.0 is "radical trust" in people. Darlene Fichter, in her Blog on the Side, defines radical trust this way: "Radical trust is about trusting the community. We know that abuse can happen, but we trust (radically) that the community and participation will work. In the real world, we know that vandalism happens but we still put art and sculpture up in our parks. As an online community we come up with safeguards or mechanisms that help keep open contribution and participation working."
Write a blog entry sharing your thoughts on this idea of "radical trust" and wikis in general. What do you think of Wikipedia? Would you, or do you, trust and use it to find information? Can you think of ways wikis can be used by libraries to offer something to its patrons? Can you think of ways that a wiki can be helpful to you and your department?
• BONUS CHALLENGES (optional)
If you’re up for it, try visiting Wikipedia and editing an article on a topic that you're familiar with. Here’s an article about how to edit a page in Wikipedia. NOTE: You'll need to create a Wikipedia user name and password to add or edit content.
Add additional content to our Northbrook Public Library page on Wikipedia.
Go back to the CCS Wiki and add a helpful article about working with WorkFlows, iBistro or Director's Station.
Be sure to blog a notice if you do any of these things.
Hey, there's a really easy one coming up: Northbrook Online.
Social Bookmarking
Bookmarks are an easy way to keep track of your favorite web pages. Many of you probably have collections of bookmarks on your home or work computers. But, what about when you’ve bookmarked a site at home and you want to find it at work, or when you are traveling? If you do bookmark regularly, eventually you end up with long lists of sites with little information on what they are.
Del.icio.us solves both these problems by putting your bookmarks online and allowing you to organize and identify them by using tags. If you tag your bookmarks well, you can build a collection of hundreds of links, and still be able to find what you want.
That’s just the first great things about del.icio.us. It also allows you to see other users' tags, making it easier to share information and get new ideas. By checking out other people's tags, you can find new sites that cater to your interests. As you find like-minded users, you can also create “social networks" and pass links to one another. With its simple interface, del.icio.us makes it easy and fun to do all of these things.
There are many social bookmarking sites that have a different use and purpose. Sites like Digg and Reddit allow their users to submit links that are then submitted to a user ranking system that pushes popular links to the top of the site's homepage. A site like Diigo allows you to not only bookmark a site, but highlight content and attach sticky notes and share that content with your friends. del.icio.us is one of the most popular sites with well over 2 million users.
It’s actually simpler than it sounds. For an explanation, take a look at this video, from the folks at Common Craft:
Visit del.icio.us. For more info visit their help page.
1. Look at the hotlist of popular bookmarks on the left half of the page. You’ll see that with every link there is a list of tags for the page and also a blue box with the number of del.icio.us users that have linked to it. Take a look at some of the comments users have left by clicking on the blue "people" box. What do people find useful about the page? Do you see any patterns in the way people choose to bookmark a page?
2. Look at the list of "tags to watch" on the right side of the main del.icio.us page. Click the "more" link to see the tag cloud. In this visual representation of tags, the most popular items appear in a larger font than the others. Click on a few of these tags and see what pages come up.
Your Learning Quest
Choose a website that you find useful or interesting. This can be on any topic of interest to you. Make sure you remember its web address.
1. Log in to del.icio.us using the login "NorthbrookLearns" and password Marc000. You will find several links that our team found useful, as well as all of the articles that you've run into during the Northbrook 8 program.
2. Add your selected website to our del.icio.us collection by clicking the "post" button and entering the website address. Add "stafffavs" as your main tag, followed by any other tags you think might be helpful.
3. Write a short blog post about your experience using the bookmark site. What tags do you think would be most useful for the Library? When you're done, bookmark your finished blog post in del.icio.us. Use the tag "northbrookplblog" and any other tags you think are appropriate.
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
• Create your own del.icio.us account and start adding bookmarks of your own. If you find something you think we'd enjoy, send it to us by using a "for:NorthbrookLearns" tag.
• Compare the manual method of adding links to del.icio.us with the browser buttons.
• Take a look at some of the other bookmark sites
It's not time to say aloha yet, Wikis are our next destination.
Del.icio.us solves both these problems by putting your bookmarks online and allowing you to organize and identify them by using tags. If you tag your bookmarks well, you can build a collection of hundreds of links, and still be able to find what you want.
That’s just the first great things about del.icio.us. It also allows you to see other users' tags, making it easier to share information and get new ideas. By checking out other people's tags, you can find new sites that cater to your interests. As you find like-minded users, you can also create “social networks" and pass links to one another. With its simple interface, del.icio.us makes it easy and fun to do all of these things.
There are many social bookmarking sites that have a different use and purpose. Sites like Digg and Reddit allow their users to submit links that are then submitted to a user ranking system that pushes popular links to the top of the site's homepage. A site like Diigo allows you to not only bookmark a site, but highlight content and attach sticky notes and share that content with your friends. del.icio.us is one of the most popular sites with well over 2 million users.
It’s actually simpler than it sounds. For an explanation, take a look at this video, from the folks at Common Craft:
Visit del.icio.us. For more info visit their help page.
1. Look at the hotlist of popular bookmarks on the left half of the page. You’ll see that with every link there is a list of tags for the page and also a blue box with the number of del.icio.us users that have linked to it. Take a look at some of the comments users have left by clicking on the blue "people" box. What do people find useful about the page? Do you see any patterns in the way people choose to bookmark a page?
2. Look at the list of "tags to watch" on the right side of the main del.icio.us page. Click the "more" link to see the tag cloud. In this visual representation of tags, the most popular items appear in a larger font than the others. Click on a few of these tags and see what pages come up.
Your Learning Quest
Choose a website that you find useful or interesting. This can be on any topic of interest to you. Make sure you remember its web address.
1. Log in to del.icio.us using the login "NorthbrookLearns" and password Marc000. You will find several links that our team found useful, as well as all of the articles that you've run into during the Northbrook 8 program.
2. Add your selected website to our del.icio.us collection by clicking the "post" button and entering the website address. Add "stafffavs" as your main tag, followed by any other tags you think might be helpful.
3. Write a short blog post about your experience using the bookmark site. What tags do you think would be most useful for the Library? When you're done, bookmark your finished blog post in del.icio.us. Use the tag "northbrookplblog" and any other tags you think are appropriate.
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
• Create your own del.icio.us account and start adding bookmarks of your own. If you find something you think we'd enjoy, send it to us by using a "for:NorthbrookLearns" tag.
• Compare the manual method of adding links to del.icio.us with the browser buttons.
• Take a look at some of the other bookmark sites
It's not time to say aloha yet, Wikis are our next destination.
Useful Terms
Commonly bumped into acronyms and definitions
Blog – A contraction of Web Log. It is usually written by an individual or small group with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
Blogosphere - Used to describe the world or community of blogs and blogging
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Feed Reader -Client software (on a user's computer) or a Web application which brings together
Podcast – An audio file that is accessed over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.
RSS – Abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication, is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works--such as blog entries, news headlines, audio and video--in a standardized format.
Tag - A keyword or term associated with or assigned to a piece of information (like a website link, picture, article, or video clip), thus describing the item and enabling keyword-based searching and classification.
Web 2.0 – A term that refers to a second generation of Internet-based services which include tools that let people collaborate and share information online, such as social networking sites and wikis.
Wiki - The term comes from the Hawaiian word "Wiki wiki", meaning fast. A wiki is a collection of web pages that multiple people can contribute to and edit.
Blog – A contraction of Web Log. It is usually written by an individual or small group with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
Blogosphere - Used to describe the world or community of blogs and blogging
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Feed Reader -Client software (on a user's computer) or a Web application which brings together
syndicated web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, and vlogs in a single location for easy viewing.
Podcast – An audio file that is accessed over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.
RSS – Abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication, is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works--such as blog entries, news headlines, audio and video--in a standardized format.
Tag - A keyword or term associated with or assigned to a piece of information (like a website link, picture, article, or video clip), thus describing the item and enabling keyword-based searching and classification.
Web 2.0 – A term that refers to a second generation of Internet-based services which include tools that let people collaborate and share information online, such as social networking sites and wikis.
Wiki - The term comes from the Hawaiian word "Wiki wiki", meaning fast. A wiki is a collection of web pages that multiple people can contribute to and edit.
Photo Sharing
There are a number of sites on the Internet that allow people to upload, modify and share their favorite photos. While sites like Shutterfly, Picasa, PhotoBucket, and Twango have attracted audiences of their own, Flickr is by far the most popular.
Visit our friends at Common Craft for a quick overview:
Flickr encourages sharing in many ways:
Tags: Tags are a way to define a photo. This is similar to the way a library subject heading helps categorize a book. Tags not only give meaning to the image but they provide a link to images of a similar nature. Tags help unlock all the social features of Flickr, where the really fun stuff is.
publiclibrary, northbrook, pumpkin – Tags from Flickr
Groups: Groups are a way for you to share your photos with people who have similar interests to you. Groups can cover any topic, including fishing in Iceland, basset hounds and Indonesian food (it sure looks good!).
Favorites: Do you just love someone else's photo? Well, then mark it as a favorite to find it again.
Contacts: Keep track of photographers that you like or your friends and family by marking them as contacts and that way you'll always know when they have new photos.
For more information, we suggest these two articles:
1. The Newbie's Guide to Flickr. More information on Tags, Sets, and Collections. You may also want to refer back to this page as you take Flickr out for a spin.
2. 16 Ways to use Flickr @ Your Library. Keep these ideas in the back of your head as you start to explore Flickr's different features. Courtesy of Michael Stephens.
Your Learning Quest
Please make sure you follow each step in this exercise.
1. Take a few digital photos, or you can recycle one that you (yes, you) took previously. You can use your own digital camera, a cell phone, or one of the Library cameras that we'll have available for checkout.
2. Log into Flickr using the Northbrook 8 account. The user name is "northbrookeight". You will receive the password in an Northbrook 8 orientation packet on Staff Development Day. If you need help at this time, refer to the Flickr FAQ page or The Newbie's Guide for assistance (or use Meebo).
3. Upload your photos by clicking "upload photos" and following the steps on the proceeding page. Flickr will do most of the work for you.
4. Add tags and a brief description to your photo by entering text in the corresponding fields. Try to use at least two tags, though you can enter as many as you'd like. If you want to go the extra mile, use the map feature on the right side of the page to add the location where the photo was taken.
5. Once you've uploaded your photo, search around Flickr and see what other photos have the same tags.
6. Write a blog entry about your experience with this task. Make some suggestions on how the library could make use of its Flickr page? Suggest two or three tags that would be most useful for the Library's Flickr page.
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
1) Create your own Flickr account
2) Browse through some of these applications that people have designed using Flickr. If you see something you like, make a note of it in your blog.
Congratulation, you've finished the meat portion and you are halfway through this learning meal. Now comes the potatoes, starting with: Social Networking
Visit our friends at Common Craft for a quick overview:
Flickr encourages sharing in many ways:
Tags: Tags are a way to define a photo. This is similar to the way a library subject heading helps categorize a book. Tags not only give meaning to the image but they provide a link to images of a similar nature. Tags help unlock all the social features of Flickr, where the really fun stuff is.
publiclibrary, northbrook, pumpkin – Tags from Flickr
Groups: Groups are a way for you to share your photos with people who have similar interests to you. Groups can cover any topic, including fishing in Iceland, basset hounds and Indonesian food (it sure looks good!).
Favorites: Do you just love someone else's photo? Well, then mark it as a favorite to find it again.
Contacts: Keep track of photographers that you like or your friends and family by marking them as contacts and that way you'll always know when they have new photos.
For more information, we suggest these two articles:
1. The Newbie's Guide to Flickr. More information on Tags, Sets, and Collections. You may also want to refer back to this page as you take Flickr out for a spin.
2. 16 Ways to use Flickr @ Your Library. Keep these ideas in the back of your head as you start to explore Flickr's different features. Courtesy of Michael Stephens.
Your Learning Quest
Please make sure you follow each step in this exercise.
1. Take a few digital photos, or you can recycle one that you (yes, you) took previously. You can use your own digital camera, a cell phone, or one of the Library cameras that we'll have available for checkout.
2. Log into Flickr using the Northbrook 8 account. The user name is "northbrookeight". You will receive the password in an Northbrook 8 orientation packet on Staff Development Day. If you need help at this time, refer to the Flickr FAQ page or The Newbie's Guide for assistance (or use Meebo).
3. Upload your photos by clicking "upload photos" and following the steps on the proceeding page. Flickr will do most of the work for you.
4. Add tags and a brief description to your photo by entering text in the corresponding fields. Try to use at least two tags, though you can enter as many as you'd like. If you want to go the extra mile, use the map feature on the right side of the page to add the location where the photo was taken.
5. Once you've uploaded your photo, search around Flickr and see what other photos have the same tags.
6. Write a blog entry about your experience with this task. Make some suggestions on how the library could make use of its Flickr page? Suggest two or three tags that would be most useful for the Library's Flickr page.
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
1) Create your own Flickr account
2) Browse through some of these applications that people have designed using Flickr. If you see something you like, make a note of it in your blog.
Congratulation, you've finished the meat portion and you are halfway through this learning meal. Now comes the potatoes, starting with: Social Networking
Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging, or IM, is a form of real-time communication where two or more people can carry out a private*, real time conversation by typing messages back and forth. Where email is similar to writing a letter, IM is more like a phone conversation, usually with very short statements. In an IM conversation participants usually try to shorten the posting time so they sometime use abbreviations and acronyms. Some of these have started seeping out into common usage (LOL). But they can be hard to decipher if you've never seen them before (IMHO).
This Acronym Dictionary will help you sort things out. David Pogue’s blog at New York Times has a funny take on the subject.
To use IM, you either download IM software onto a computer or use a web-based service. The web service does not require any special downloads, only a web browser and Internet access. Most of these programs have only allowed for you to message other subscribers of the same service, however using web–based Meebo, you can chat across a number of different platforms. That’s why we’ll use it for our Learning Quest. Other popular IM programs include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk.
How do you find out if your friends or family are available for a chat? By adding them to your Buddy or Contact List. All IM programs allow you to save your buddies so that you can see when they’re available online. Once you get into the Learning Quest portion of this task, you’ll see what that means.
IM has been around for more than 10 years, but recently it’s gained massive popularity. Younger users tend to prefer IM to email, but it’s not just the teens that are using IM. In a study published in September 2007, a whopping 84% of undergraduate students surveyed indicated that they IM on a daily basis. Going back to 2004, a Pew Internet study found that over 40% of adult internet users use IM to varying degrees. With statistics like that, you may have already used IM. If you haven’t, don’t fear! This task is designed to get you chatting in no time.
Libraries all over the country have been using IM to provide one more way for patrons to get in touch and ask questions. This Library Journal article gives you a flavor of IM reference in public libraries. The Northbrook Public Library participates in the AskAway and HomeworkHelp services which provides live reference service via chat programs.
Your Learning Quest
As with any "real life" IM experience, you'll have to find out which of your friends you can connect with by asking their screen name and which service they use. Half the work has already done for you since you know all of your co-workers will be using a Meebo account.
You can't IM alone, so you'll need to find buddy(s) for this one. You and your buddy will need to log in to Meebo at the same time.
We are going to use Meebo because it can communicate across a number of IM types and you very well may want to keep the account later. You may have already used the Meebo app on our pages to ask a question about our quests. Signing up is really easy and not at all intrusive. You can either add buddies to your account at sign up or later on.
So, go to the Meebo site and create an account (this can be done in less than a minute). Make sure that you keep track of your screen name and password. It will open up a buddy list on the right side of the screen. Click on the icon to add a new buddy and type in your partner’s screen name then press enter. That will send an invitation for the two of you to become buddies.
Start a chat session with your partner. Open a chat window by clicking on your partner's name from the Contacts list. You'll see an open whitespace with a field for typing at the bottom. Start typing and see what happens!
Besides chatting with text, you can also send links to websites, videos, and more. Feeling adventurous? Visit YouTube, the web's largest and best-known video site, and search for a video with a library theme. Share the video with your partner by copying the video's URL and pasting it into your chat box. It's like magic!
Now that you've had a chance to see IM for yourself, reflect a bit on your experience. Write a blog post about your time using Meebo. Have you used any other IM programs before? Were you surprised by anything? How do you feel about IM as a mode of communication?
*It’s not a good idea to consider anything on the Internet truly private. IM sessions can be saved by any participant in the conversation.
That being said, we'll move on to Photosharing.
This Acronym Dictionary will help you sort things out. David Pogue’s blog at New York Times has a funny take on the subject.
To use IM, you either download IM software onto a computer or use a web-based service. The web service does not require any special downloads, only a web browser and Internet access. Most of these programs have only allowed for you to message other subscribers of the same service, however using web–based Meebo, you can chat across a number of different platforms. That’s why we’ll use it for our Learning Quest. Other popular IM programs include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk.
How do you find out if your friends or family are available for a chat? By adding them to your Buddy or Contact List. All IM programs allow you to save your buddies so that you can see when they’re available online. Once you get into the Learning Quest portion of this task, you’ll see what that means.
IM has been around for more than 10 years, but recently it’s gained massive popularity. Younger users tend to prefer IM to email, but it’s not just the teens that are using IM. In a study published in September 2007, a whopping 84% of undergraduate students surveyed indicated that they IM on a daily basis. Going back to 2004, a Pew Internet study found that over 40% of adult internet users use IM to varying degrees. With statistics like that, you may have already used IM. If you haven’t, don’t fear! This task is designed to get you chatting in no time.
Libraries all over the country have been using IM to provide one more way for patrons to get in touch and ask questions. This Library Journal article gives you a flavor of IM reference in public libraries. The Northbrook Public Library participates in the AskAway and HomeworkHelp services which provides live reference service via chat programs.
Your Learning Quest
As with any "real life" IM experience, you'll have to find out which of your friends you can connect with by asking their screen name and which service they use. Half the work has already done for you since you know all of your co-workers will be using a Meebo account.
You can't IM alone, so you'll need to find buddy(s) for this one. You and your buddy will need to log in to Meebo at the same time.
We are going to use Meebo because it can communicate across a number of IM types and you very well may want to keep the account later. You may have already used the Meebo app on our pages to ask a question about our quests. Signing up is really easy and not at all intrusive. You can either add buddies to your account at sign up or later on.
So, go to the Meebo site and create an account (this can be done in less than a minute). Make sure that you keep track of your screen name and password. It will open up a buddy list on the right side of the screen. Click on the icon to add a new buddy and type in your partner’s screen name then press enter. That will send an invitation for the two of you to become buddies.
Start a chat session with your partner. Open a chat window by clicking on your partner's name from the Contacts list. You'll see an open whitespace with a field for typing at the bottom. Start typing and see what happens!
Besides chatting with text, you can also send links to websites, videos, and more. Feeling adventurous? Visit YouTube, the web's largest and best-known video site, and search for a video with a library theme. Share the video with your partner by copying the video's URL and pasting it into your chat box. It's like magic!
Now that you've had a chance to see IM for yourself, reflect a bit on your experience. Write a blog post about your time using Meebo. Have you used any other IM programs before? Were you surprised by anything? How do you feel about IM as a mode of communication?
*It’s not a good idea to consider anything on the Internet truly private. IM sessions can be saved by any participant in the conversation.
That being said, we'll move on to Photosharing.
Social Networking
Social Networking sites have become some of the most popular destinations on the Internet. They function as gathering places, promotional tools, ways to keep in touch and virtual hangouts for millions of users all over the world. While initially many of their users were college aged or younger, the trend has been showing older and older (and wiser?) users in recent years.
There are two basic principles that account for their success:
1. They make it easy for users to create a customized page of their own where they can express their personality and interests.
2. Users can link their sites to those of their friends.
Many of the sites include widgets or different applications, such as posting pictures, videos and music.
Once again our friends at Common Craft have a good overview:
The number of social network sites is growing and becoming more focused to specific age groups and interests. Visit one or more of the following social networking websites. If you already belong to one or more.
1. MySpace - this site is popular with teens and young adults all over the world. The site is also used for promotion by actors, musicians, authors, and even fictional characters. Some of the sites may contain adult content.
2. FaceBook - originally started for college students; it recently has been embraced by corporations and adults. One of the few sites that you must sign up before you can see others’ pages. We recommend this one because you can find the library’s page and become a fan.
3. LinkedIn - this site is used by professionals to create contacts and post resumes.
4. Eons: Social networking and activity sharing geared toward ages 50+.
5. LibraryThing – for reading fanatics to post reviews and book lists and even favorite reading places.
What features do you like or dislike about the site(s) you visited? What do you think makes them so popular?
Your Learning Quest
1. Choose one of the social networking sites listed above. Again, if you already belong to a social networking site, try a new one.
2. Visit the site and create a new profile. You don't have to use your real information if you're concerned about privacy. You will have to use a real email, which doesn’t have to be made public
3. Upload a photo to your profile (it doesn't have to be of yourself, or even of a person) and fill in some of the "about me" features. This is your chance to give your profile a little personality, so feel free to be as creative as you like.
4. Once you've created your profile, explore the site a little more. Search for somebody-- a friend, a co-worker, a former classmate, or a famous author and add them to your friends list.
5. Create a blog post about your experience. What features do you like or dislike about the site(s) you visited? What do you think makes them so popular?
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
There are several social networking sites designed for book lovers. The two most notable sites are LibraryThing and GoodReads. Both of these sites allow members to create an online "bookshelf" where they can rate or review the titles they've read and share recommendations with their friends. Several libraries have even begun to integrate LibraryThing features into their online catalogs.
For extra credit, take a look around one of these sites. (You don't have to create an account to browse either site, but feel free to register if you'd like.) Search for one or two of your favorite books and see how other readers have rated, reviewed, or tagged the item. Do you think our Library could benefit by offering some of these features? Add your thoughts to your blog.
1. What did you like or dislike?
2. Will you go again?
3. How can libraries use social networking to connect with patrons?
By now you've probably got armloads of links to interesting sites, our next stop, Social Bookmarking, will help you organize those links and perhaps share some as well.
There are two basic principles that account for their success:
1. They make it easy for users to create a customized page of their own where they can express their personality and interests.
2. Users can link their sites to those of their friends.
Many of the sites include widgets or different applications, such as posting pictures, videos and music.
Once again our friends at Common Craft have a good overview:
The number of social network sites is growing and becoming more focused to specific age groups and interests. Visit one or more of the following social networking websites. If you already belong to one or more.
1. MySpace - this site is popular with teens and young adults all over the world. The site is also used for promotion by actors, musicians, authors, and even fictional characters. Some of the sites may contain adult content.
2. FaceBook - originally started for college students; it recently has been embraced by corporations and adults. One of the few sites that you must sign up before you can see others’ pages. We recommend this one because you can find the library’s page and become a fan.
3. LinkedIn - this site is used by professionals to create contacts and post resumes.
4. Eons: Social networking and activity sharing geared toward ages 50+.
5. LibraryThing – for reading fanatics to post reviews and book lists and even favorite reading places.
What features do you like or dislike about the site(s) you visited? What do you think makes them so popular?
Your Learning Quest
1. Choose one of the social networking sites listed above. Again, if you already belong to a social networking site, try a new one.
2. Visit the site and create a new profile. You don't have to use your real information if you're concerned about privacy. You will have to use a real email, which doesn’t have to be made public
3. Upload a photo to your profile (it doesn't have to be of yourself, or even of a person) and fill in some of the "about me" features. This is your chance to give your profile a little personality, so feel free to be as creative as you like.
4. Once you've created your profile, explore the site a little more. Search for somebody-- a friend, a co-worker, a former classmate, or a famous author and add them to your friends list.
5. Create a blog post about your experience. What features do you like or dislike about the site(s) you visited? What do you think makes them so popular?
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
There are several social networking sites designed for book lovers. The two most notable sites are LibraryThing and GoodReads. Both of these sites allow members to create an online "bookshelf" where they can rate or review the titles they've read and share recommendations with their friends. Several libraries have even begun to integrate LibraryThing features into their online catalogs.
For extra credit, take a look around one of these sites. (You don't have to create an account to browse either site, but feel free to register if you'd like.) Search for one or two of your favorite books and see how other readers have rated, reviewed, or tagged the item. Do you think our Library could benefit by offering some of these features? Add your thoughts to your blog.
1. What did you like or dislike?
2. Will you go again?
3. How can libraries use social networking to connect with patrons?
By now you've probably got armloads of links to interesting sites, our next stop, Social Bookmarking, will help you organize those links and perhaps share some as well.
RSS & Feed Readers
RSS isn’t heard quite as commonly as blog, but if you continue that cat swinging you’ll bump into it pretty quickly. The initials stand for Really Simple Syndication, but unless you’re a web geek it won’t mean very much to you. It is a file format for delivering frequently updated information, such as news headlines, blog posts, and podcasts over the web.
The more websites that you regularly like to visit, the more time it takes to see if they have been updated. By subscribing to the RSS feeds of these sites you can use a single site or an application to view the new content. That one spot is called a feed reader, or aggregator. The feed reader gathers the RSS feeds of all of the websites to which you subscribe. Sounds good, right? Think of it as TIVOing the Internet. When you use it you are essentially subscribing to a website and having information delivered to you whenever it is updated. You can then view that information whenever you want. You’ve may have seen
this on websites ranging from mainstream media sites to personal blogs, by clicking on these icons, you can subscribe to a site feed.
There are many existing feed readers, each with a different look and some different tools. The two most common readers are Bloglines and Google Reader. We’ll use Google Reader because it is so simple, but you may want to take a look at a few of the many others that are out there.
Background Info:
To learn more about RSS and feed readers, let's take a look at one of those great Common Craft videos.
Take a look at these library sites that are using RSS feeds to get information to their patrons:
• Hennepin County Public Library
• Denver Public Library
• RSS Feeds @ Skokie Public Library
• Library of Congress
• LibWorm
Take a look at this tutorial on Google Reader for a overview of how our feed reader of choice (at least for this task) works. One word of caution: the tutorial was created in 2005, back when Google Reader was just a baby. It's grown a bit since then, so expect to see a few cosmetic changes.
Your Learning Quest
1. Go to http://reader.google.com/ and sign in with your Google account.
2. It's time to start adding subscriptions! Click "Add Subscription" and enter the URL of a site that offers an RSS feed. Add at least 5 subscriptions to your Reader.
If you are using Internet Explorer 7.0 or Firefox, you can subscribe to an RSS feed in Google Reader with a single click. If a Website has an RSS feed, you will see this in your browser's address bar. If you click on that indicator, it will take you to a page where you can choose your aggregator. Choose Google Reader as the aggregator to use. Then you will be taken to the Google Reader page for subscribing to that feed. Hurrah!
3. No idea what to subscribe to? Here are some suggestions:
o Northbrook 8 blogs of library participants.. Keep up with your co-workers as they work their way through the 8 Learning Quests. Visit a blog, copy the URL, and paste it into the "Add Subscription" field in Google Reader.
o Skokie Public Library's new DVDs
o Chicago Tribune
o Your favorite news, career, hobby, or family websites.
4. Once you've got at least 5 subscriptions in your Reader, check back periodically to see if there are any new items. Click around in Google Reader and explore a bit of its functionality. How do you delete a feed?
5. Now that you've got your Reader set up, take a few minutes to post to your blog about your RSS experience so far. Don’t know what to blog about? Think about these questions:
o What do you like about RSS and feed readers?
o How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal life?
o How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?
o If you're already using a feed reader, share your experiences with your co-workers. Which one do you use? Do you find it useful?
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
Customize your Blogger template to include a feed from one of your favorite sites. HINT: Look for "Add an Element" in your Template.
We're ready to move on to Instant Messages, a favorite of anyone who used to pass notes in class.
The more websites that you regularly like to visit, the more time it takes to see if they have been updated. By subscribing to the RSS feeds of these sites you can use a single site or an application to view the new content. That one spot is called a feed reader, or aggregator. The feed reader gathers the RSS feeds of all of the websites to which you subscribe. Sounds good, right? Think of it as TIVOing the Internet. When you use it you are essentially subscribing to a website and having information delivered to you whenever it is updated. You can then view that information whenever you want. You’ve may have seen
this on websites ranging from mainstream media sites to personal blogs, by clicking on these icons, you can subscribe to a site feed. There are many existing feed readers, each with a different look and some different tools. The two most common readers are Bloglines and Google Reader. We’ll use Google Reader because it is so simple, but you may want to take a look at a few of the many others that are out there.
Background Info:
To learn more about RSS and feed readers, let's take a look at one of those great Common Craft videos.
Take a look at these library sites that are using RSS feeds to get information to their patrons:
• Hennepin County Public Library
• Denver Public Library
• RSS Feeds @ Skokie Public Library
• Library of Congress
• LibWorm
Take a look at this tutorial on Google Reader for a overview of how our feed reader of choice (at least for this task) works. One word of caution: the tutorial was created in 2005, back when Google Reader was just a baby. It's grown a bit since then, so expect to see a few cosmetic changes.
Your Learning Quest
1. Go to http://reader.google.com/ and sign in with your Google account.
2. It's time to start adding subscriptions! Click "Add Subscription" and enter the URL of a site that offers an RSS feed. Add at least 5 subscriptions to your Reader.
If you are using Internet Explorer 7.0 or Firefox, you can subscribe to an RSS feed in Google Reader with a single click. If a Website has an RSS feed, you will see
this in your browser's address bar. If you click on that indicator, it will take you to a page where you can choose your aggregator. Choose Google Reader as the aggregator to use. Then you will be taken to the Google Reader page for subscribing to that feed. Hurrah!3. No idea what to subscribe to? Here are some suggestions:
o Northbrook 8 blogs of library participants.. Keep up with your co-workers as they work their way through the 8 Learning Quests. Visit a blog, copy the URL, and paste it into the "Add Subscription" field in Google Reader.
o Skokie Public Library's new DVDs
o Chicago Tribune
o Your favorite news, career, hobby, or family websites.
4. Once you've got at least 5 subscriptions in your Reader, check back periodically to see if there are any new items. Click around in Google Reader and explore a bit of its functionality. How do you delete a feed?
5. Now that you've got your Reader set up, take a few minutes to post to your blog about your RSS experience so far. Don’t know what to blog about? Think about these questions:
o What do you like about RSS and feed readers?
o How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal life?
o How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?
o If you're already using a feed reader, share your experiences with your co-workers. Which one do you use? Do you find it useful?
BONUS CHALLENGE (optional)
Customize your Blogger template to include a feed from one of your favorite sites. HINT: Look for "Add an Element" in your Template.
We're ready to move on to Instant Messages, a favorite of anyone who used to pass notes in class.
Blogs and Blogging
BLOGS
What Are They?
Nowadays you can’t swing a cat around a room without bumping into a blog or a blogger. The term is actually the contraction of the two terms web log and refers to a website, usually written by an individual or small group, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. The original ones were link journals about the online experience of site owner. They were written by tech geeks who wanted to share interesting things they found on the web. Soon after, people came to recognize that blogs were a user-friendly form of web publishing and many varieties came into being.
You can find blogs on just about any topic you can imagine. They are used by many people to update their readers on what is happening in their life, an area of interest, or the world. Some are very lofty and analytical and other are random, sometime incoherent musings.
In this first Thing you’ll be learning more about blogs and start your very own one. You’ll get to choose what sort of blog you have, but it will also serve to track your progress through our 8 Things and record what you think about them. After we're done, you may decide to keep on blogging or you can just walk away from it.
Your blog will be set up using Blogger, the same easy-to-use platform that we used to set up the pages you are currently looking at. It was easy to create this site (much easier than all the writing and documentation – yikes!). You can help us make this site better through sending us your comments. That’s another thing about blogs – they can be used to hold a back and forth conversation. Barak Obama set up a Tumbr blog as part of his inauguration. The slashdot blog, has a series of news notices, often geeky that are posted throughout the day on wide ranging subjects.
For your blog, you can decide whether to create a very basic version or really load it up with all the bells and whistles. Before you go on a creative spree, you’ll need to know more about blogging basics. One easy way to do this is to navigate through Blogger’s Quick Tour.
For those who want more info about blogs, check out this video from Common Craft.
Sounds Fun, but Why?
How are blogs relevant to libraries? Our patrons are using them to communicate. They are even using them to communicate about us. Many libraries are using blogs to communicate with their patrons, some like the Ann Arbor District Library are completely built on a blog structure and allow for amazing feedback from the public.
Your Learning Quest
Go to Blogger and either create a Google user account (fast and easy – and free) or log in with your Google user name and password in the top right corner, beneath the heading "Sign in to use Blogger with your Google Account."
1. Name your blog. Your blog name will appear in your blog’s unique Internet address like this: http://yourblogname.blogspot.com/ (where "yourblogname" is the unique blog identifier you selected when you set up your account). Remember to write down your blog address!
VERY IMPORTANT: How you identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under your real name, or you can create an anonymous screen name.
2. Select your template. This allows you to pick a color scheme and design for your blog. If you run into trouble, visit Blogger's Help Page.
3. Create your first blog post. Add a new post to your blog describing your experience with the Blog Quest. Was it easy or difficult? What did you think of the library blogs you looked at? How can Northbrook Public Library make use of blogs? Do you have any other thoughts on blogs in general?
4. Keep an eye out for the list of 8 Things participant blogs on the northbrook8.blogspot.com website. Read at least one blog and leave a comment.
5. Finally, register your blog with the 8 Things Team by sending an email to Eric. Be sure to include your name and your blog’s Web address. If you are blogging anonymously, be sure to include your "nom de blog."
BONUS CHALLENGES (optional)
1. Create an online poll for your blog. Click here for instructions on how to do this.
Visit Technorati and search for popular blogs or a blog on a topic that interests you. Add a few blogs to your blog's link list. Click here for instructions on how to add a link list and other page elements to your blog.
Congratulations
When you finish this Quest, you’ve already completed the hardest assignment. It’s all downhill from here!
Now, continue your adventure with RSS and Feed Readers.
What Are They?
Nowadays you can’t swing a cat around a room without bumping into a blog or a blogger. The term is actually the contraction of the two terms web log and refers to a website, usually written by an individual or small group, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. The original ones were link journals about the online experience of site owner. They were written by tech geeks who wanted to share interesting things they found on the web. Soon after, people came to recognize that blogs were a user-friendly form of web publishing and many varieties came into being.
You can find blogs on just about any topic you can imagine. They are used by many people to update their readers on what is happening in their life, an area of interest, or the world. Some are very lofty and analytical and other are random, sometime incoherent musings.
In this first Thing you’ll be learning more about blogs and start your very own one. You’ll get to choose what sort of blog you have, but it will also serve to track your progress through our 8 Things and record what you think about them. After we're done, you may decide to keep on blogging or you can just walk away from it.
Your blog will be set up using Blogger, the same easy-to-use platform that we used to set up the pages you are currently looking at. It was easy to create this site (much easier than all the writing and documentation – yikes!). You can help us make this site better through sending us your comments. That’s another thing about blogs – they can be used to hold a back and forth conversation. Barak Obama set up a Tumbr blog as part of his inauguration. The slashdot blog, has a series of news notices, often geeky that are posted throughout the day on wide ranging subjects.
For your blog, you can decide whether to create a very basic version or really load it up with all the bells and whistles. Before you go on a creative spree, you’ll need to know more about blogging basics. One easy way to do this is to navigate through Blogger’s Quick Tour.
For those who want more info about blogs, check out this video from Common Craft.
Sounds Fun, but Why?
How are blogs relevant to libraries? Our patrons are using them to communicate. They are even using them to communicate about us. Many libraries are using blogs to communicate with their patrons, some like the Ann Arbor District Library are completely built on a blog structure and allow for amazing feedback from the public.
Your Learning Quest
Go to Blogger and either create a Google user account (fast and easy – and free) or log in with your Google user name and password in the top right corner, beneath the heading "Sign in to use Blogger with your Google Account."
1. Name your blog. Your blog name will appear in your blog’s unique Internet address like this: http://yourblogname.blogspot.com/ (where "yourblogname" is the unique blog identifier you selected when you set up your account). Remember to write down your blog address!
VERY IMPORTANT: How you identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under your real name, or you can create an anonymous screen name.
2. Select your template. This allows you to pick a color scheme and design for your blog. If you run into trouble, visit Blogger's Help Page.
3. Create your first blog post. Add a new post to your blog describing your experience with the Blog Quest. Was it easy or difficult? What did you think of the library blogs you looked at? How can Northbrook Public Library make use of blogs? Do you have any other thoughts on blogs in general?
4. Keep an eye out for the list of 8 Things participant blogs on the northbrook8.blogspot.com website. Read at least one blog and leave a comment.
5. Finally, register your blog with the 8 Things Team by sending an email to Eric. Be sure to include your name and your blog’s Web address. If you are blogging anonymously, be sure to include your "nom de blog."
BONUS CHALLENGES (optional)
1. Create an online poll for your blog. Click here for instructions on how to do this.
Visit Technorati and search for popular blogs or a blog on a topic that interests you. Add a few blogs to your blog's link list. Click here for instructions on how to add a link list and other page elements to your blog.
Congratulations
When you finish this Quest, you’ve already completed the hardest assignment. It’s all downhill from here!
Now, continue your adventure with RSS and Feed Readers.
Welcome
Welcome to the Northbrook Public Library Web 2.0 learning blog
This program is intended for the staff of the Northbrook Public Library, but anyone is welcomed to take a look and play along.
This program is modeled, like many others, on the original program that was developed by Helene Blowers at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County and licensed under Creative Commons.
The 8 Things @Northbrook:What is this?
The 8 Things @ Northbrook is a self guided learning experience. It leads you through 8 (well, really 9) web-based applications centered on “social media” that are widely used today. Library administration strongly recommends that all staff participate in learning (or practicing, if you already know) these 8 things.
To start, here's a short video below from Common Craft to explain the concept and uses of “social media.”
What’s in it for you? 8 reasons:
1) Learning is fun!
2) Your peers, friends, children and (especially) grandchildren are already using these forms of communication everyday.
3) These are how our patrons access much of their information. It’s the language they speak and what they expect us to speak.
4) We’ve made it really simple.
5) Other libraries have done it with all of their staff and have found it very rewarding.
6) You can do it with a friend.
7) We provide work time to do it. How crazy is that? We’re paying you to learn.
8) Material profit! At the end of the learning period we will have prize drawings. Everyone who’s completed the program can participate in these drawings.
This program is more about experimentation and learning rather than training. It is meant to be self-guided experimentation, but if you want to buddy up with someone, that’s ok too. You are meant to have fun with it and just about the only way to do it wrong is if it doesn’t feel like playing.
If you have a question, you can use the chat box on the right. If you really get stuck we have some mentors who can help you along. They'll be introduced on Staff Development Day.
So, just what are these things that we are trying to make fun in order to trick you into learning?
The Meat
1. Blogging
2. RSS and Feed Readers
3. Instant Messaging
4. Photo Sharing
The Potatoes
5. Social Networking
6. Social Bookmarking
7. Wikis
8. The Northbrook Community Portal
Still Hungry? An amuse-bouche for you overachievers
9. Podcasts
Well, alright then! Let's not dally: It's time to get started with Blogging.
This program is intended for the staff of the Northbrook Public Library, but anyone is welcomed to take a look and play along.
This program is modeled, like many others, on the original program that was developed by Helene Blowers at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County and licensed under Creative Commons.
The 8 Things @Northbrook:What is this?
The 8 Things @ Northbrook is a self guided learning experience. It leads you through 8 (well, really 9) web-based applications centered on “social media” that are widely used today. Library administration strongly recommends that all staff participate in learning (or practicing, if you already know) these 8 things.
To start, here's a short video below from Common Craft to explain the concept and uses of “social media.”
What’s in it for you? 8 reasons:
1) Learning is fun!
2) Your peers, friends, children and (especially) grandchildren are already using these forms of communication everyday.
3) These are how our patrons access much of their information. It’s the language they speak and what they expect us to speak.
4) We’ve made it really simple.
5) Other libraries have done it with all of their staff and have found it very rewarding.
6) You can do it with a friend.
7) We provide work time to do it. How crazy is that? We’re paying you to learn.
8) Material profit! At the end of the learning period we will have prize drawings. Everyone who’s completed the program can participate in these drawings.
This program is more about experimentation and learning rather than training. It is meant to be self-guided experimentation, but if you want to buddy up with someone, that’s ok too. You are meant to have fun with it and just about the only way to do it wrong is if it doesn’t feel like playing.
If you have a question, you can use the chat box on the right. If you really get stuck we have some mentors who can help you along. They'll be introduced on Staff Development Day.
So, just what are these things that we are trying to make fun in order to trick you into learning?
The Meat
1. Blogging
2. RSS and Feed Readers
3. Instant Messaging
4. Photo Sharing
The Potatoes
5. Social Networking
6. Social Bookmarking
7. Wikis
8. The Northbrook Community Portal
Still Hungry? An amuse-bouche for you overachievers
9. Podcasts
Well, alright then! Let's not dally: It's time to get started with Blogging.
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