23 Things - Recently Updated Pages

E-Books

FelicityHarrison — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:06:22 CST

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

Photo courtesy of goXunuReview

This is a brand new Thing being created by staff from Aberdeen, Luton, Suffolk, Surrey, and West Berkshire. You can watch it grow, here. If you want to get involved, or have any comments, start a new thread at the bottom of this page. We're particularly interested in hearing about your experiences with e-readers (especially if they're not Kindles, since you can't borrow a book on a Kindle at the moment).

Skeleton

(Helen says: I think we're focussing on popular books and systems like Overdrive, not scholarly and academic systems like Safari. And I think we're focussing on audio books, not music.)

What is an eBook? eBook vs. audio eBook - W. Berks

eBook

The word ebook means 'electronic book'. An ebook is a book that is produced to be read in full text form on a computer or other portable electronic device such as an eReader, rather than being printed like a traditional book. Some ebook devices even simulate page turning!

ebooks have actually been around since 1971 when the United States Declaration of Independence was typed into a computer by Michael S. Hart at the University of Illinois. Project Gutenberg was launched soon afterwards to create electronic copies of copyright free books. See more information at http://www.gutenberg.org

By the 1990s the widespread use of the internet had made the transferring of electronic files, including ebooks, much easier. By January 2011 ebooks were in widespread use and sales of ebooks at Amazon were higher than its paperback sales.

Audio ebook/digital audio book

Audio books are read aloud and recorded to be listened to on an audio player. In the past this may have been on a vinyl LP, cassette tape or CD, but now as technology has advanced, you can download and listen to a digital audio ebook through a computer or a mobile listening device such as an MP3 player or iPod.

Digital audio books can be used by visually impaired people, but are also very popular for general use. They are particularly useful for commuters or on long car journeys. Many audio books are read by a narrator but some can be in the format of a play, in which different actors take the parts of the characters in the book. They may also feature sound effects or music to help enhance the listening experience.

On thing to be aware of is that the format of digital audio books is critical and it is advisable to check compatibility before purchasing a digital audio player, particularly if you are intending to download from a library collection. Please see next section for more detail about formats.

Formats of eBooks
Different formats (important to go back to basics here about the difference between an ebook- reading and a digital audio book - listening)

What e-book systems tend to be available in UK public libraries? Maybe place this section first before moving onto devices, it gives a background before we move into compatibility issues?

Overdrive
Askews
Public Library Online
WF Howes
Bolinda

What e-readers and e-audio devices are available in the UK? - Surrey
E-Book Readers

The first thing to say is that YOU CAN'T CURRENTLY BORROW LIBRARY BOOKS ON AMAZON'S KINDLE. If you want to borrow books, buy any other device listed in the websites below. The situation with the Kindle could change in 2012, so watch this space.

There are a lot of websites which offer guidance as to what to buy but they should be treated with caution. The market is changing so constantly and dramatically that information goes out of date almost as soon as it's published, prices go up and down like yo-yos, and there is so much fierce competition that recommendations should be treated with suspicion.

Here's a website that, in our opinion, gives a good objective overview of the top UK e-book readers. It includes reviews and prices and was was published by Techradar at the end of November 2011. http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/portable-media/10-best-ebook-readers-for-the-uk-1038445

As librarians, we've looked at a few e-book readers. Here's the ones we think are worth considering:

The Kobo, available from WH Smith
The Elonex, normally available from Waterstones, but at the time of writing it wasn't clear that this is still the case. Anyway, you can buy it from the Elonex website.
The iRiver Story. This is probably most easily bought from Amazon.
The Sony e-reader, which you can buy directly from Sony's website.

E-audio book readers:
It's a bit harder to recommend particular models, because the majority of audio books are mp3 files, meaning they can be played on any mp3 player - and there are literally thousands of mp3 players on the market. However there's not many with the following functionality:

Mid-track resume, and bookmarking: mid-track resume means you can stop the player to answer the phone or go to the shops, and when you switch it back on it will go to the place where it stopped. Bookmarking is as it sounds: you can place a marker which will allow you easily to go back to your place.
Play order: downloading can scramble the order of the chapters, and if your player doesn't have ability to sort this then you'll have a scrambled book.
Plenty of memory: a high-quality audio book can take up 1gb of memory.
Rewind: some players don't have a rewind function, which will be annoying if you miss a bit - which you will do if you fall asleep.

It's really difficult to find players that meet all these criteria One librarian who knows more about it than most recommends Creative players. The following are worth investigating:
The SanDisk Sansa Clip seems to have all the functions mentioned above.
The iPod Nano has mid-track resume and rewind/fast forward functions, but not bookmarking
The Samsung YP also has mid-track resume and rewind / fast forward, but not bookmarking.

Ignoring this functionality, Overdrive very helpfully provides a list of devices that play mp3 and wma files with helpful links to product pages. Unfortunately the list is American so items may not be available in the UK, but it's useful to browse through the product pages and see what funcationality each item has.

E-audio book apps

These days, an awful lot of people have a smartphone (a phone which can access the internet) in their pocket. Most of these have the ability to play mp3 and other audio files.
On these, books can be treated like music files: in other words, you can download the music / book to your home computer, then synchronise the computer with your smartphone. You can then play the book like you can play music. The problem is, that you lack the functionality listed above. It's annoying to close your audio book to do something else, only to find that you can't get back to where you left off.

There are apps you can get which separate your audio books from your music files on your smartphone, making the process of playing them easier. However, the apps tend to be linked to particular suppliers - Amazon has Audible, for example, and Overdrive has Media Console. It's not always possible or easy to transfer audio books between your apps, or to collate all your books, borrowed or bought, into one app. You may find you need an app for each service.

Current challenges public libraries are facing
There is a lack of content for public libraries to buy. The market is new and some publishers and booksellers are justifiably worried about their business. There are two key myths about public libraries which will have to die down before publishers feel more confident in releasing content into the market:

Publishers think libraries are lending indiscriminately, to any member of the public - sometimes even to people overseas.
Publishers think that library books are not securely protected, meaning they can be easily pirated.

As a result, few big publishers sell to the library ebook suppliers. For example, Macmillan and Simon and Schuster don't make their books available. At the time of writing, the Society of Chief Librarians is in discussion with a number of organisations, including the Publishers' Association, to try and establish a baseline offer for public libraries which would address publishers' concerns.

Amazon. The Kindle e-reader was a huge seller over Christmas. Amazon won't reveal how many were sold but this article about Bloomsbury estimates 1.3 million units, and this seems to be borne out by ebook sales after Christmas, as reported in the Bookseller. However, the problem is that you can't borrow library ebooks using a Kindle, which makes the sales somewhat threatening to us.

Amazon and Overdrive in the UK have stated that they will strike a deal to allow Overdrive books to be borrowed on Kindles, as happens in the US now, but there is no date suggested. Worse, the deal in the US has been seen as threatening copyright holders, and Penguin withdrew its books from Overdrive UK in November 2011. Public libraries are caught between a rock and a hard place: so many people now have Kindles that it's important that they can borrow books on them - but if Amazon allows this, the publishers and authors may well see it as a threat and withhold stock.

There is clearly a lot of tension between Amazon, booksellers and publishers. One interesting recent development (January 2012) is that Barnes and Noble, the biggest bookshop chain in the USA, have stopped stocking books published by Amazon's publishing arm, in protest against Amazon signing exclusive deals with authors and agents which make ebooks unavailable to B&N customers. It's a token gesture as Amazon don't publish many physical books, but it's giving authors cause to think.

How to download an eBook and read or listen to it - Suffolk

These generic guidelines should help you to give advice to library customers about eBooks. The customers themselves need to be relatively confident with computers and computer software because they will have to download these materials away from the library in the majority of cases.

It is worth noting that there are a number of eBook suppliers so the procedure will vary slightly for each one. Currently the main suppliers to UK public libraries are: OverDrive, Askews, Public Library Online and W F Howes.

In order to get started with eBooks, a library customer will generally require:

A valid library card number (and possibly PIN)
Internet access
A computer (or device) that meets the system requirements of the material that the customer wants to download
The customer will be required to download and install the free software
The customer may be required to activate the free software.

So what does this mean in principle? Let's look at each of the requirements in more detail:

A valid library card number - Customers may need to join their local library if they are not already members. The library card number will be used when downloading eBooks.

Internet access - The need for access to the internet is obvious to us as library professionals but less confident customers may not grasp this as quickly. Therefore you may need to explain that internet access is required for the actual download of an eBook. Once the book has been downloaded to the customer's PC or supported device then of course he or she may read it offline.

Computer or compatible device - Customers should be aware that they must have access to their own computer or device because the relevant software will need to be downloaded and installed before they can access the service. It is definitely worth emphasizing that Amazon's Kindle is locked down at the moment. This means that it is not possible to borrow any UK public library eBooks on a Kindle. You can also point your customer to the supplier's compatibility page.

Download/install free software - This can be more technical but in each case the supplier provides step-by-step online instructions. It can take some time for the download of this software to complete, depending on internet connection, broadband width and other variables. Therefore it is best to advise customer to complete this process when they have plenty of time. It is even quicker and easier to download the OverDrive app to an iPhone or iPod. It is likely that these mobile apps will become more and more popular in the future.

Activate free software - Some of the software may have to be activated by the customer. One example is Adobe Digital Editions. Adobe Digital Editions can be activated with an anonymous ID or by using an Adobe ID. Anonymous activation allows you to download and read DRM-protected eBooks on a single computer only. Activating using an Adobe ID allows you to download and read DRM-protected eBooks on multiple computers and transfer them to supported eBook devices.

OK now the customer is all set up, how does the process work? Let's look at one of the main suppliers, OverDrive:

Browse - Browse the eBook catalogue through the third party supplier's website.
Check Out - When the customer finds a title of interest, they should add it to their basket and check it out.
Download - Once the customer has checked out a title, a download page is displayed. Click the "download" link to start the download. When the download is complete, the customer can open and enjoy the title

Customers do experience problems from time to time with their eBooks downloads. To facilitate trouble shooting you should include the following details when you contact your third party suppliers:

Library card number
Title(s) of the problem download(s)
Steps to reproduce the problem
Exact text of any error messages
Urls of any error pages
Applicable software
Operating system
Internet browser
If applicable, device e.g. iPhone

Other free sources of eBooks - Aberdeen
This may seem counteractive to encouraging users to use the libraries paid-for service, but some libraries also include links to sites for free eBooks on their digital library page. It also greatly enhances the number of titles the library is able to offer to its patrons and goes back to the old-fashioned idea of librarians being able to advise the public on good sources for information.

With each passing year there is a proliferation of sites offering free eBooks, both audio and written. As these are restricted by copyright they can offer the same range of titles though of differing quality and in different formats. A few of the more well-known sites are listed below:

Bibliomania
Not only does this site provide access to a vast array of classic texts, these are accompanied by study guides, reference material and more.

E-Books Directory
The E-Book Directory gives an insight to the range of books, documents and lecture notes that can be found across the internet. These can either be read online or downloaded in a variety of formats.

International Children’s Digital Library
A site dedicated to free children’s literature in many languages. The ICDL Research Team aim to increase access to literature for children between 3 to 13 years through use of technology.

Project Gutenberg
One of the best known sources of free eBooks. This offers over 38,000 books in both ePub and mobi (Kindle) formats and is the work of many volunteers.

Librivox audio books
Like Project Gutenberg, it aims to record every book in the public domain. It currently contains some 6000 books, so has a bit of a way to go! Because the reader is so important in e-audio books, and because Librivox is run by volunteers, it has a hand-knitted feel which is not to everybody's taste.

For more free sources of eBooks try this site: 100 Useful Links for eBook Lovers

How to publish your own e-book

It's surprisingly easy to publish a Kindle book. If you're interested in publishing, either for yourself or your library authority, Jen Bakewell of the Library of Birmingham has written out her experiences in a document called "My Epublishing Experiment", which you will find as an attachment right at the foot of this page.

Finding out more:

If you work in a public library you can join the Ebooks Community of Practice at http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk/comm/landing-home.do?id=3643455. Run by the Society of Chief Librarians, it offers a place where people can learn about what's going on nationally, and discuss issues with peers.

The Bookseller's website offers a very good way of keeping up to date with trade developments: http://www.thebookseller.com/

Here's an article from Futurebook that helps upderstand about movements within e-book standards.

Introduction, Web 2.0, Library 2.0 (Core)

helenleech — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:29:07 CST

(Guide time: 1 hour)

Introduction

Why do the course?

You're probably working under a lot of pressure. Public services are going through difficult times, budgets are being cut, staff are being asked to take on a wider and wider role, workloads are increasing. Why are you being asked to do a course which is so frivolous when you need to keep your head down and get your work done?

The course will give you umpteen reasons why you should know about Web 2.0. We've put 23 of them into a Word document and attached them to this page: you'll find the document at the foot.

But here's the one biggest, the killer reason, the one that alone would justify going online even if the other 22 didn't exist: doing stuff online is no longer optional. It's an essential life skill, and you're a second class citizen with a poorer quality of life if you can't do it. In today's environment, you have to be able to apply for a tax disc, look up the telephone number of the local garage, apply for a job, ask for help setting up your new TV recording system, book a hospital appointment, keep track of your friends' birthdays - all online.

I'm not (just) talking about us library staff. I'm talking about our users. One adult in five in Britain is digitally excluded, and the government has plans for getting everybody in the country skilled up for using the internet. Guess what? Our role in this is going to be HUGE. We need to get better at helping people to get online, and we need to get really good at offering services they want to use once they're there.

If you haven't been involved in this in your library, you need to be aware of a couple of things. Spend a couple of minutes having a look at the following:

Go on - make online easy - the programme offered through UK Online Centres.
Did you know? - video. (Approach this with caution if you suffer from migraines - there's a lot of Powerpoint slides in a short space of time.)

About 23 Things

23 Things is an informal course for staff to work on at their own pace, giving you the chance to learn about new technologies on the internet.

The course is self-directed and unstructured and will point you in the direction of where to explore. Then you go ahead and look around. We want you to PLAY!

Picture courtesy of Mitch Ditkoff and IdeaChampions

There are seven Things that are marked as "Core". This just means that we think they are the very least you should know about Web 2.0.

Each week the work should take no more than one hour, if you are familiar with the topic and already have an account you may finish our activities quicker but there are recommended followups you can do.

The legal bit

There's a lot of mistrust about the internet, and about social networking in particular. If you read nothing but the newspapers, you would swear that it's a hotbed of fraudsters and paedophiles. There's an awful lot of bad news stories out there about people who've had their bank accounts emptied, or whose children have been groomed by strangers, or who have posted a careless comment on Facebook and lost their job as a result.

Make sure your mistrust is reasonable. It's reasonable to be careful about what you tell strangers, or to protect private data about yourself and your assets. It's unreasonable to think that social networks are populated by people who mean you harm. It's important that you learn how to behave, protect yourself online, and get a basic understanding of intellectual property, and to that end we've written The legal bit. (You don't have to read it immediately: it's the seventh of the 7 Core Things.)

What is Web 2.0?

The term Web 2.0 was popularised in 2004. It's an artificial term that covers two newish concepts: social networking and user generated content.

Social networking allows people to identify and pull together networks of friends and acquaintances.
User generated content allows people to upload photos, films, and snippets or whole lumps of information, which then can be shared across the social networks. It also allows people to "tag" and bookmark and review and rate existing information.

Web 2.0 covers a supposed second-generation of internet based services such as Facebook, Wikipedia, blogs and social bookmarking that let people collaborate and share information online. See Wikipedia's Web 2.0 page

But what does that REALLY mean?

Watch this video Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us to find some answers!

Web 2.0 has become a phenomenon because it has enabled a read/write web for everyone, rather than a read only web for the majority of people.

It has allowed people to easily make connections that they would not otherwise have been able to make. Connections to others, connections to their own areas of interest, connections to people they would never have had the opportunity to meet elsewhere.

It has provided a self-service web using cheap, simple and easy to use applications.
It has enabled unbounded creativity. Anyone can unleash their creative urges in writing, in design, in humour, in videos, in audio...all within the DIY world of Web 2.0.

Exciting?? Oh yes………

Recommended followups

There are countless websites, books, blogs and reports on the subject of Web 2.0 technology and its applications. Here is a short list of books that contains some really influential reading.

Library 2.0

	If Web 2.0 is about social networking and user generated content, Library 2.0 is about applying these things to the catalogue (and is often applied more widely to virtual services, such as joining online and reserving books). It reflects a transition within the library world in the way that services are delivered to users. You could argue that Library 1.0 was about us deciding what our customers wanted, and then delivering it in a way that meant that people had to come to us to use it. Library 2.0 is about libraries working with the public around the catalogue, books and reading.

If Web 2.0 is about social networking and user generated content, Library 2.0 is about applying these things to the catalogue (and is often applied more widely to virtual services, such as joining online and reserving books).

It reflects a transition within the library world in the way that services are delivered to users. You could argue that Library 1.0 was about us deciding what our customers wanted, and then delivering it in a way that meant that people had to come to us to use it. Library 2.0 is about libraries working with the public around the catalogue, books and reading.

The focus is on user-centered change and participation in the creation of content and community. At the moment it translates into people being able to review and rate books, join in polls and discussions, scroll through book covers, recommend books to friends, create mini-collections of catalogue records in places like LibraryThing or on their iPhones. In the future it may develop into more meaningful engagement.

It's a bit radical. Maybe library users should be able to choose books for their libraries, participate in staff recruitment, decide how much money should be spent on the library service? These are all startling concepts at the moment, but people are talking about it. Watch this space.

Library 2.0 is more than just a term for the use of technology; it can also describe mindset changes that are occurring within libraries to make our spaces and services more user-friendly and inviting. It could be said that libraries have always been 2.0: collaborative, customer focussed and welcoming. Whatever, libraries of tomorrow, even five or ten years from now, will look substantially different from libraries today.

Recommended followups*

Here are several articles that explore Library 2.0 in more depth:

Wikipedia definition of Library2.0
We know what Library2.0 is
Away from Icebergs
Into a New World of Librarianship
Library 2.0: The Challenge of Disruptive Innovation
There is even a Library 2.0 social network for you to join: Library2.0

A little light reading in preparation for the rest of the course!

(*Recommended followups are links that take you further if you're interested - but you don't have to follow them if you don't want to. You'll find recommended followups in each Thing, but they're not fundamental to this course.)

Would you like to leave feedback on this section?

23 Things Home

helenleech — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:02:05 CST

(Text generated at http://cooltext.com/. Try it out. It's fun.)

Welcome to 23 Things, the course which introduces library staff to Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and new technologies. It is a partnership project of four public library authorities in the UK: Aberdeen, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Surrey, and is endorsed by the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL). It's being used by Aberdeen, Newcastle, North Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Renfrewshire, Suffolk, Surrey, and West Berkshire, as well as by a number of other library organisations.

It's free to do - just work through it in your own time. At the end of each Thing, you'll find some activities, which you HAVE to do if you want to claim to have done the course, and some recommended followups which are simply to allow you to explore further if you want to. Record your progress and your activities on your blog, which you'll create in the second module.

If you're short of time, we've identified the seven core Things that we think are absolutely fundamental. You'll find them by following the links on the left hand side of this screen.

Introduction
Blogging
Flickr, photos and images
Facebook and social networking
Twitter and microblogging
Tagging and social bookmarking
The legal Bit

Each Thing will take roughly an hour. To help you, we've put a guide time at the top of each one. Don't worry if it takes you longer (or shorter) - some people will know more than others, and some will be more confident.

Information for UK public library services
If you'd like to roll this out to your staff, feel free. If you contact us using the email address below, we'll supply you with the SCL-endorsed certificate, to which you can add your authority's logo, and a guide to help you to structure your rollout.

Latest news:
A different set of authorities are working on an e-books module, which you can find at the end of the course. Please feel free to leave comments - we'd love to hear about your experiences if you're using an e-book or e-audio book player.

Credits and rights
The course is, of course, based on Helene Blowers' original which you can still see at http://plcmcl2-about.blogspot.com/. We'd also like to thank Kirklees and Devon library services for their help when we started out.

In the spirit of Helene's original, please feel free to borrow or use or change any information, exercises or content found on this site. Just remember to provide proper credit according to Creative Commons.

23 Things is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

Contact
Please email virtuallibrary@surreycc.gov.uk.

December 2011

Links

geofelgie — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:01:54 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

The legal bit (Core)

helenleech — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:26:35 CDT

(Guide time: 60 minutes.)

What do we need to know about the legal side?

Photo by k8marieuk.

If you’re using Facebook or Twitter or other social media, you ought to think about your privacy settings.

If you’re doing stuff for or with children on the internet you ought to think about child protection.

If you’re searching the internet for a picture to use on a poster, you ought to think about Creative Commons and copyright.

If you’re employed and using social media, you ought to think about libel, defamation, harassment and loss of reputation.

If you want to carry out an online survey or use e-newsletter sites like Mailchimp you ought to know about data protection.

If you want to use filesharing sites like Slideshare and Google Docs, you ought to know about data security.

Privacy and Security

Watch this video from Brandon Roudebush on Social Networking Privacy.

According to Mark Zuckerman, creator of Facebook, privacy is "a social norm of the past". Facebook and other social networking sites are receiving criticism for not protecting members’ information. Facebook has come under recent attack for changing its privacy polices, with users being nudged towards sharing more information with the wider Web. They are also not clear enough about how users can control their information and who actually owns it. Users find it very difficult to delete their accounts.
Whatever social networking sites you use, they will have privacy settings, and you need to take a look at them to make sure you’re not revealing more about yourself than you want to.

Here’s a video showing you how to manage your privacy settings on Facebook.

Child protection

Image by Mike Licht

Anybody who works in a library ought to be aware of how children can be protected and protect themselves online. Have at look at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, and in particular look at the Thinkuknow section.

One question that often crops up in libraries is about children using sites like Facebook. Research by Ofcom has discovered that one quarter of 8-12 year olds have a profile on a social networking site, despite the fact that users must be 13 or older. The COPPA Rule (which applies to websites based in the USA) prohibits online organisations from gathering personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. As getting this consent would hamper children from signing up, most social networking sites require that you must be 13 before you can get an account, but this is usually ignored by children who sign up anyway.

If you see a child under 13 using a social networking site in the library, realistically you can’t stop them. Try to make sure they know how to protect themselves online, and if you’re seriously concerned about what they are doing, notify their parents.

Copyright and Creative Commons

Image by Mikeblogs

Copyright law exists to protect the intellectual standing and economic rights of creators and publishers of all literary, dramatic, artistic, musical, audiovisual and electronic works. As long as the work is original, copyright protection is automatic. You break copyright if you:

copy work
issue copies of the work
perform, show or play the work in public
broadcast the work
adapt the work .....without permission from the copyright owner

Websites that rely on collaboration, user contribution and the sharing of files all run the risk of breaking copyright law. Even using somebody else's photograph without permission on your website can get you into serious trouble.
The safest way to proceed is to ask the creator for permission to use their content, or to look for content registered under Creative Commons.

Creative Commons

Many owners now publish their work under a Creative Commons licence. Under these terms it is possible to use their material without permission (with a few restrictions, such as their work cannot be used for commercial gain). This video explains Creative Commons.

Many people who work in libraries create posters and use photos. If you’re looking for photos free to use under Creative Commons, Flickr's Creative Commons section is a good place to start. (Most of the images on this page came from there.)

Libel, defamation, harassment and loss of reputation

Image by Metropilot

Some individuals could use a social networking site, blog or wiki to criticise an organisation or post libellous, inappropriate or illegal content. In 2008 a Birmingham man was tried for harassing an ex-girlfriend via Facebook and cyber-bullying is a common problem. The ability for people to anonymously post defamatory and offensive comments on social media sites is of major concern to local authorities and individuals. Some authorities will have guidelines for the use of Web 2.0 for business purposes. Remember that bad press gets round fast with social media. Watch this commoncraft video on Social Media and the Workplace.

If you have a blog, it's possible to moderate people's comments before they are published, but if you do moderate then you are legally responsible for the content, so could be liable if it breaches copyright or is defamatory. Legally, it’s simpler not to moderate and publish full disclaimers.

Most Web 2.0 software is free as it comes with third party advertising: some of these adverts may be inappropriate or offensive and could become associated with yourself or your library authority (depending where you are accessing this course from you may see advertisements). Loss of reputation could also occur if editorial attention is not paid to any contributions made to a site (on a wiki for example) and the site becomes badly organised, poorly spelt or publishes inaccurate information.

Finally, think about what you are saying about your employer when you use social media. Internet history is littered with people who bad-mouthed their boss or colleagues during a drunken night on Facebook, and got fired the next day. If you’re going to vent your anger, do it at the pub rather than in writing.

Data protection

Image by Daquella Manera

The Data Protection Act 1998 establishes basic principles in relation to the processing (i.e. management) of personal data. The Act seeks to make sure that all information that an organisation keeps about an individual has been obtained lawfully, is used for the correct purpose, is accurate and up to date and is not kept longer than is needed.

If you create online polls using SurveyMonkey or similar tools, or if you send out e-newsletters using Mailchimp or similar, you need to think about Data Protection. You’re likely to want to collect people’s contact details and other personal information, and if you do, you need to do it in accordance with the law. Most large organisations have Data Protection Officers; if you plan to keep personal information, you ought to talk to yours.

Watch this video from the British Standards Institute which raises a wide range of issues.

Data Security

Data security is very closely related to Data Protection. There are so many organisations sharing information, and so many examples of government officers losing data on laptops, data sticks and CDs, that data security is a huge issue for us. If you are employed by a local authority or other government body, your employer will have signed up to the Government Connect Code of Connection (CoCo). Have a look at this document from the Local Government Association to get an idea of what is involved.

This has implications for our use of social media. Many employers ban sites that allow file sharing, such as wikis, Google Docs and Slideshare, because they are considered to fall outside the Code.

You need to find out what your employer’s policy is with regard to data security, and wherever possible you should use your organisation's tools of storage and collaboration rather than filesharing sites in the internet "cloud".

Four authorities worked together on this 23 Things wiki and we stored the minutes of our meetings on the site. We were always careful about what appeared in the minutes and made sure the privacy settings of the site were set appropriately. The internet makes working with other people quick and easy, but you need to be aware of the data security implications.

Digital Economy Act (DEA)

You might hear about this, because it's potentially a big problem for libraries: the Act was passed in 2010 and basically says that internet service providers (ISPs) have to take responsibility if their customers breach copyright - for example by downloading music illegally. The ISP has to keep detailed information about customers and the way they use the internet, provide this to copyright holders on request, and take action against the customer if necessary.

There's a big question about whether libraries can be called internet service providers. We certainly provide internet services, but we don't fall into the traditional definition. It looks like this will only be established through case law.

If you want to find out more about the DEA, have a look at guidance from the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council.

Activities

Find out what your employer’s policies or guidelines are, that cover the above issues.
On your blog, outline which of the above issues affect your job.

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Facebook and social networking (Core)

helenleech — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:52:41 CDT

(Guide time: 1 to 2.5 hours depending upon the Activity chosen.)

What is social networking?

In this section we are talking about social networking. Watch this commoncraft video....Social Networking in Plain English

A social network is an online community where people share information about themselves on their profile page. It aims to connect people to each other through their social links in the real (and virtual) world e.g. friends, family, colleagues or people who share common interests or activities.

Users interact with each other via the inbuilt communication facilities which include e-mail, chat and messaging (or posting) through an online forum. Increasingly social networks are being used by organisations as a way of keeping in touch with their customers.

Examples

As of September 2011 the most popular social networking sites are:

Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Myspace
Ning
Google Plus (not even officially launched, as at September 2011!)

There are also special interest sites available. Many other networks as seen in the Wikipedia list of social networking websites focus on categories ranging from books (LibraryThing, CompletelyNovel.com, etc) and music (Last.fm etc), to non-profit businesses and motherhood as ways to provide both services and community to individuals with shared interests.

Why use this?

"We know from a citizen panel survey 95% of 18-24 year olds use Facebook in our Borough." - Louise Kidney, Blackburn with Darwen, August 2011

Social networking has created powerful new ways to communicate and share information. Websites such as Facebook are being used by millions of people everyday, and are becoming part of daily life.

Social networks are becoming the way to socialize and exchange ideas, especially for young adults (68% of teenagers use social networking sites), students but increasingly more children, adults and seniors are using these services as well. Most social networking sites have a minimum age (usually 13 years) but surveys show that many users are under the age limit.

Social networking is unbelievably popular and growing rapidly. In November 2010 Facebook users had risen to 550,000,000, surpassing the use of land line telephones and even email for a growing percentage of people. Facebook and Twitter probably get more mainstream press than any other tool on this course, besides blogging. Not all the press coverage, however, is positive.

The benefits of social networking are obvious in terms of facilitating communication and finding old friends, but other advantages have also emerged in recent years:

Establishing business contacts and promoting goods and services to customers, getting feedback from them quickly
Educational, especially the development of technological skills
Developing personal skills in young people such as collaboration and managing risk
Community engagement and involvement
Fostering creativity and digital citizenship

How libraries use this

Some of our users may come to the library specifically to check Facebook and/or MySpace. These users are our customers, and we should not only know that they’re using these networks, but understand how they work. In this way we can respond to their needs whilst allowing us to network and outreach to a wider population.

So, what does it all mean to libraries? Whether or not you become a convert to social networks, it's important to understand how they work. If our users are communicating through these networks, we need to be there too.

Recently libraries around the world have discovered the benefits of having a Facebook profile as a means of:

Advertising events in order to showcase their library
Sending out event invitations
Reporting news
Highlighting their services and resources
Keeping in touch with their customers
Reaching new customers, performing outreach
Speaking the language of their patrons
Educating users
Promoting and assessing library functions, through surveys and focus groups
Repackaging information

However, some authorities prohibit libraries from having their own Facebook page. Others are considering having a page and are evaluating the security, access to the site and staff time required to maintain it (this applies to most other forms of social networking).

Take a look at some examples of libraries and library staff who are on Facebook:

Social networking and the Law

When using any social networking site, individuals and organisations need to be aware of some important considerations.

Facebook is often under fire for not sufficiently protecting the privacy of their users. In addition anything posted on Facebook, subsequently belongs to them and they can re-use it any way they wish.
Be careful what you post, any libellous comments could cost you a considerable sum, plus your reputation.
Child protection is a serious concern. 25% of underage children have accounts but social networking sites fail to protect their information online.
Cyber-bullying and harassment via social networking sites is very difficult to control.

Google +

Google entered the social networking arena in June this year (2011) with Google+. From what we hear it's similar to Facebook but is designed to make it easier to manage your different circles of friends. It'll be a while - a long, long while - before it takes over from Facebook, because it's just being beta tested, and you can only sign up to the site if you get invited. For a little bit more, read this article: What's the fuss about Google Plus?

Activities

Now is your chance to explore Facebook for yourselves! Here you have a choice:

Activity 1: for those of you who already have a Facebook account
Activity 2: for those of you who do not want to sign-up with Facebook
Activity 3: for those of you who want to create a personal Facebook account

Scroll down to the activity of your choice.

Stop press! December 2010: Facebook changed the look of profile pages. Therefore some of the stuff mentioned below may be a little out of date, but the changes are subtle and with some exploration you should be able to work around this.

Stop press! December 2010: Facebook changed the look of profile pages. Therefore some of the stuff mentioned below may be a little out of date, but the changes are subtle and with some exploration you should be able to work around this.

Activity 1

For those of you who already have Facebook accounts, this activity should be easy!

Make sure your information is secure, do some background reading on privacy settings.
'Like' a library on Facebook - if your own service has a Facebook page like that as well. Blog about which you joined and why.
Blog about some of the positive reasons for having a Facebook page for your own library. What are the potential positive outcomes and what are the possible problems? Why might an authority be reluctant to allow it?

Now scroll down to the Recommended follow-ups section.

Activity 2

So you don't want to sign up for Facebook? No problem! We have set up a dummy account for you to explore and play with. Please contact your course supervisor for log-in details.

NOTE: If you are working through the course independently, you will need to set up your own Facebook account - but you can always use a pseudonym. Scroll down to Activity 3.

NOTE: If you are working through the course independently, you will need to set up your own Facebook account - but you can always use a pseudonym. Scroll down to Activity 3.

If you have any problems with the activity Facebook 101 will provide you with step-by-step instructions. Don't worry if some of the videos take a while to load - be patient! Facebook changed it's appearance recently so some of these videos will look a bit different, but don't panic, the basic principles are the same.

Watch this video How to use Facebook.
Navigate to Facebook and log in using the details from your supervisor.
You will see that you have logged into the profile page of 'Helen Garrett'. She's the fictitious administrator of the page.
Take some time to explore.
What's on your mind? Write on the wall, introducing yourself (your name and the library you work in). If you're feeling brave post a link or video that you think would be of interest to others doing this course. Don't forget you can also comment on other people's posts.
Using the search box, find and join at least one group or 'like' a page.
Using the Facebook search box, find someone you know. Don't worry about actually adding any friends as they won't know who Helen is!
Blog your thoughts about Facebook. Which groups did you join and why? Reflect on how Facebook can be used to promote your own library service. What are the potential positive outcomes and what are the possible problems? Why might an authority be reluctant to allow it? Or do you think Facebook is over hyped?

Now scroll down to the Recommended follow-ups section.

Activity 3

If you don't already have a Facebook account, now is the time to set one up!

If you have any problems with the activity Facebook 101 will provide you with step-by-step instructions. Don't worry if some of the videos take a while to load - be patient! Facebook changed it's appearance recently so some of these videos will look a bit different, but don't panic, the basic principles are the same.

Watch this video How to use Facebook.
Navigate to Facebook and register.
Create a Facebook profile. Facebook profiles are for individuals. Facebook pages are for organizations. As you create your profile, Facebook will ask you if you want to find friends by using your email account. Facebook will ask you to provide your email account password. It is strongly advised you do not give this. There are other ways to add friends later. As a matter of fact, you can skip all of the steps in the profile setup if you want, as long as you enter your name and secret question. You can always go back and edit your profile information later.
What's on your mind? Write on the wall.
Using the search box, find and join at least one group or 'like' a page. Here are some possible Facebook Groups to join: Library2 Interest group, Libraries and Facebook. Or choose any of the groups from this list Hottest Facebook Groups for Librarians.
Facebook is really not much fun without friends, so find some of your friends by typing their name into the search box. You may find that their profiles are private so in order to see their page properly you will need to add them as a friend. Once they have confirmed you as such you will be able to read each others news feeds and message each other.
Double check your privacy settings. Watch this video on Facebook privacy settings and make any necessary adjustments to your own account.
Blog your thoughts about Facebook. Which groups did you join and why? Reflect on how Facebook can be used to promote your own library service. What are the potential positive outcomes and what are the possible problems? Why might an authority be reluctant to allow it? Or do you think Facebook is over hyped?

Recommended followups

Social networking isn't just about Facebook...take a look at some of these other social networking sites:

CompletelyNovel is a site designed to put together writers, publishers and agents as well as readers. Take a look at their tour
Last.fm is a music-focused site,
Geni.com for family history enthusiasts
VampireFreaks.com is, well, rather different!

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Blogging (Core)

helenleech — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:43:04 CDT

(Guide time: 1 to 1.5 hours.)

What is a blog?

Wikipedia says: "A blog (a contraction of the term "web log") is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning "to maintain or add content to a blog."

Most blogs are like a diary, a record of people's experiences and thoughts as time goes by. But publishing a blog is like somebody putting their diary on the pavement outside their house. Just because it's out in the public doesn't mean anybody will know it's there, or will read it, but if it's interesting word will spread.

Many organisations now have blogs, and use them as a way to publish a steady, constantly changing stream of information - a lot more interesting than a flat, static web page.

Why blog?

People blog because they want to share with others. They may share their opinions, rants on particular topics, or news from a holiday. They may even have a professional blog where they share views on their work, or they may have a blog all about their pet! See, for example, The Polite Librarian.

Why are blogs important?

Because they're a new form of publishing and reading - our core business. There are now thousands of blogs which are the equivalent of bestsellers, followed by huge numbers of people. Have a look at this list of blogs that eventually mutated into books: http://www.avclub.com/articles/why-buy-the-cow-27-popular-websites-that-became-bo,2535/. Closer to home, the book Blood, Sweat and Tea was based on the blog Random Acts of Reality written by a London ambulance technician. However, the fact that they resulted in books is irrelevant: as they stand, blogs are widely read and an important way that people share information.

How libraries use them

See this example at Manchester libraries who use Blogger, one of the many free applications available on the Web. Newcastle, too, have an excellent blog using Wordpress (the application you're about to use, below.)

Set up a blog of your own

As you’re working through the rest of your 23 Things you will be asked to carry out various activities, and you will need to record them on your blog. You can include anything you like about your 23 Things experience. This might include what you’ve done, whether you think it’s useful, what you thought was easy or hard, where you got stuck, how you overcame your sticking points, anything you’ve found that others might find interesting – whatever you like really.
You can choose to use a screen name if you prefer to keep yourself anonymous. If you are not sure how much to write, don’t be shy – write as much as you like!

Courtesy of Randall Munroe at http://xkcd.com/239/

Set up your blog

For this exercise we are using WordPress, a free online blog hosting service. (You might want to print out these instructions so you can follow them step by step.)

Step 1: Go to www.wordpress.com and click on the “Sign up now” button

Step 2: Fill in the form – you need to choose a blog address ie my23things.wordpress.com and a username which can be a made up name if you want eg Julie123 or Mickeymouse27. You will also need to choose a password and provide an email address. Now click on "Sign Up". Make sure you make a note of your username and password and blog address. NB If the blog address and/or username are not available you will need to try another.

Step 3: An email will be sent to the email address you provided to activate your account. Check your inbox and click the link in the message. Your WordPress account will now have been activated. Click on “Log in” and enter your username and password.

Step 4: From this page called the “Dashboard” you will see a menu down the left hand side of the screen with all the sections you need to add posts, change the appearance of your blog etc. To look at your blog click on the name of your blog at the top left hand side of the screen. To return to the dashboard click on “My Blog” and choose “dashboard” from the top left hand side of the screen.

Step 5: To add a new post to your blog to introduce yourself to everyone go to the “Dashboard” page and from the left hand side menu bar choose “Posts” and “Add new”. You will see two text boxes, the top box is to write in a heading ie "My first attempt at blogging" and the text box underneath is where you can write the main text. You can talk about work, or be a bit more interesting and tell us the names of your pets… anything really! You can then click on “Publish” and your post will now be live.

Don't forget your username and password!

NB If you don't want the whole world to see your blog you can change the privacy settings by following these instructions.

As you complete each Thing you will be expected to post an entry on your blog. This will be the way to record your progress on the programme. Eventually this blog could be about anything that you are particularly interested in. You may have a hobby or an interest that you would like to explore further. You may have had an idea for extending your library services through an information blog – or you may just want to use your blog as an online journal. So – yes – it is perfectly acceptable to write about what you had for breakfast!

However – initially the blog will be a way of recording your own journey through the 23 Things programme.There is a lot more that you can do to make your blog more personal. There are many options that you may want to experiment with. You can change the way your blog looks, you can change how posts are displayed etc etc. So now is the time to play around – here are a couple of options you may want to try out:

Activities

1. Change the look of your blog through templates

Go to the “Dashboard” and click on “Appearance” from the left hand side menu (or click on the down arrow next to “Appearance” and choose “Themes”)
Choose a “Theme” and click on preview to see how your blog will look
If you don’t like it, click the X in the top left corner
If you do like it click ‘Activate’ in the top right corner and you’ve got a new template.

2. Explore widgets A widget is a fancy word for tools or content that you can add, arrange, and remove from the sidebars of your blog. Widgets make it easy to customize the content of your blog sidebar – the part of your blog to the left, right or sometimes top or bottom of your main content. For example you can add a calendar, or a list of your most popular posts (the ones which have attracted the most comments).

From the “Dashboard” click on the down arrow next to “Appearance” in the left hand side menu and choose “Widgets”
You can drag widgets from here to any sidebar (called “Widget areas”) on the right to activate them. Just drag the widgets back to remove them from the “Widget area”
e.g. if you want to add a calendar, click and hold on the word “Calendar” and drag it over and drop it in the “Widget area”. You now have a calendar on your blog. It’s that easy!

To find out more about your blog and the different options you have for customising it then follow this link to WordPress. It will take you to a very comprehensive guide: http://en.wordpress.com/features/. If you really want more in depth information about how to customise your blog – or, if you get really stuck and don’t have a clue what you are doing then there is a Help section in WordPress.

Recommended followups

As we've said there are millions of blogs on the internet. Some are fascinating, some are, er, well, less so. Wikipedia has a massive list of what it views as being some of the more interesting or noble: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_blogs.Take a look at this list and pick a couple to have a look at. If anything catches your eye, put it in your blog!

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting).

There are many different sites which host blogs. You might want to go and have a look at them sometime.

Blogger (and you can find a guide to setting up a Blogger account at http://learning.digitalunite.com/how-to-start-a-blog/)
LiveJournal
Newblog
Open Diary
Wordpress

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What's coming next?

helenleech — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:45:43 CDT

(Guide time: an hour to 75 minutes.)

So where are things going now? Have a look at this:

(You can see the original of this at http://novaspivack.typepad.com/nova_spivacks_weblog/2007/02/steps_towards_a.html)

This is the way most internet gurus, like Tim Berners-Lee, think things are going.

The vertical axis = how information is connected together
The horizontal axis = how people are connected together

At the bottom left of the progress line is the Personal Computer era. Most PCs worked alone, so there wasn't much connectivity.

1. Web 1.0 (1990 to 2000). Computers were linked up, but the way information was shared tended to be "top down" - organisations made information available to individuals.

2. Web 2.0 (2000 to 2010) has seen the rise of user-generated content: individuals are creating content, and making it available to other individuals. New programming languages and protocols like RDF and XML are making information more findable, and when you use a search engine, it's using these standards to bring information together from a number of different places. Web 2.0 has allowed the growth of social networking in the shape of Facebook, Flickr, and LibraryThing, allowing people to come together in vast numbers.

3. Web 3.0 (2010-2020) is also called the "Semantic Web". New standards, programming languages and technologies will allow computers to understand the nature of information much better. This means that computers, rather than people, will bring information together at your request. For example, somebody researching Swine Flu could be presented with data, individual's experiences, graphs, interviews with doctors, news broadcasts - all tailored to their request. You can see the start of the semantic web when you see "mashups" on Google, bringing together information from a variety of people and places, or "feeds" which take information from one site and feed it into another.

4. Web 4.0 (2020-2030) is predicted to be the rise of the Web Operating System. This means that we'll no longer have computers as storage devices. All of your files will be hosted in the internet cloud, so that you will be able to access them from anywhere. Groups of people will be able to work on documents and projects together, and all of the computer processing will be done by companies in the cloud - so you'll be able to choose one of a hundred companies to do your word processing, or store your photos, or compose music. You can see the start of this in the shape of the file-sharing sites like Flickr, where you can store and share your photos, and Slideshare, where you can put your presentations.

It's hard to tell how accurate these predictions are, but it's quite clear that some really important organisations are putting huge amounts of money and energy into making web 3.0 and 4.0 happen.

Have a look at this EPN foundation video which gives some more information about way Web 1.0 morphed into Web 2.0 and onwards: Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0

What's a Mashup?

Mashups are websites or web pages that bring related information together from a number of different sites and presents it in a new way that wasn't originally intended by the creator of the original information source. By combining the information from different resources a new value added service is created. Read this About Web Mash-ups article and check out the 10 best mash-ups on the Web link.

For example, if you add a photograph to Flickr and tag it with 'Tower of London', your intention is just to have that photograph visible on Flickr. However, someone might have created a mashup on another site that allows people to search for photographs in Flickr taken at a particular location and then automatically present them on a map to show where they were taken. In fact they have. This is exactly what Panoramio (mentioned in Searching and Q&A forums) does.

What's the Semantic Web?

In the crudest terms, search engines find information by matching keywords found on a web site. The search engine makes no attempt to understand what it's finding for you in order to make sure it's fulfilling your search request. For example, if you search for the word 'Bank' Google will not understand the nature of your search - financial institution or the side of a river?

The Semantic Web tries to do this, but is probably a long way off from becoming a reality. A clear definition of the Semantic Web can be found on the About.com Web Trends site.

For further explanation if required, watch this video: Intro to the Semantic Web.

Related to the concept of the Semantic Web is linked data. Just like pages can be linked together by hyperlinks, information can be linked together by background coding that is very much like cataloguing: it identifies the individual bits of the data, such as the author or the subject. For libraries linked data could seriously enhance a catalogue entry. Imagine how useful that entry would be if it had links to an author biography on Wikipedia, links to related books, Amazon customer reviews, the author's Facebook fanpage or Twitter stream and so on. All this data is available on the Web, but if it was linked together it would enrich the user experience.

What else is heading our way?

Mobile technology

Mobile technology is probably the biggest thing that's going to have (is already having!) an impact on public libraries. There are so many portable devices now that can be used to access the internet: iPhones and other internet-connected phones, laptop computers, notepads, e-book readers, and now the new Apple iPad. It has been estimated that within the next 5 years more people will connect to the Internet via a mobile device than desktop PCs. The implications for public libraries are clear - our customers will expect to seamlessly access their accounts and online library resources using apps developed specifically for mobile users.

The numbers of people who now have mobile internet devices is huge, and growing fast: about six million people in the UK (that's one person in ten) had a mobile phone that could access the internet at the end of 2009. (Source: Nielsen). There are also an astonishing number of "apps" - little software programmes with various functions, from games to calorie counters. Apple has 159 000 apps available for its iPhone and iPod, developed by 30 000 different people or companies, at the time of writing (early 2010), up from 50 000 at the same time last year. (Source: 148apps.biz).

There are now apps that allow you to download free e-books. There are apps that allow you to scan a book's barcode, using your iPhone, and check other people's reviews for it. There's an app for the Oxford English Dictionary, and for the complete works of Shakespeare. Think of all the apps that public libraries could have. How about our catalogue, to start with? Or an app that allows you to book a library PC? Perhaps an app that allows you to scan a book's barcode in a bookshop to find out if the library has it? Or an app that keeps you informed about the top ten books borrowed last month from the library service?

The rise of mobile technology has led to location based services. LBS make use of the geographical position of your mobile device. For example based on your geographical position, the LBS on your mobile phone can identify your nearest restaurant, cinema, library or cash point.

One of the most popular LBS is Foursquare. Created in 2009, Foursquare is a web and mobile application that allows registered users to connect with friends and update their location. Points are awarded for "checking in" at venues with a smart phone. Users can choose to have their check-ins posted on their accounts on Twitter, Facebook or both. The advantages for business are clear as Foursquare encourages people to explore their neighbourhood and receive rewards for doing so. In this way organisations can engage with increasingly mobile customers and offer them discounts or prizes for coming in. Could libraries increase footfall with Foursquare? Perhaps offer a free drink at the cafe, or a free DVD loan if enough check-ins are accumulated?

According to Ericsson, RFID technology could be present in all mobile phones by 2011. This presents an intriguing opportunity for libraries who already use RFID to tag their stock. There are still a lot of technical issues to iron out but it may potentially be possible for mobiles to locate a book within a library by supplying the patron with a map to it's shelf. This interesting blog post speculates on this possible future.

QR codes

Internet-enabled mobile phones are allowing people to get information in new ways, and one of these is QR codes.

QR stands for "quick response" and the graphic on the right acts rather like a barcode. The process is similar: you have to scan a barcode with a special barcode scanner to get basic information about the item, and you have to scan a QR code with a mobile phone that has the right app downloaded to it.

If you scan the QR code on the right, you get taken to Surrey library service's online reference collection.

Barcodes link to limited information in comparison to QR codes. A QR code can take you to a website, or can display a telephone number, or can bring up a photo, or can play a podcast.

An interesting example of the use of these codes is Jodi Picoult's new book, Sing You Home. Each chapter heading has a QR code, and if you scan it your phone will play the music that accompanies that chapter.

They are easy to create - try typing "create qr code" into Google and you're presented with a long list of creator websites. Most of these are free to use. Why not put a QR code onto the next poster you create?

Virtual Worlds

The most popular virtual world on the Web is Second Life (SL). You may have difficulty accessing the actual SL website as it's probably blocked on library computers.

Launched in 2003, SL has over 21 million registered users and is a digital world created, developed and owned by its users (or residents). Anyone can access SL in order to communicate, engage and collaborate with others. SL is a useful way of gathering people together in one place if they are geographically dispersed, for example the Open University hold lessons here and distance learning students attend via their own PCs at home. It's even possible to make money in SL and some organisations have used SL to promote their services - including library authorities.

Just like 3D is starting to take off in the cinema and TV, creating a virtual experience that feels like the real thing is a holy grail for anybody involved with e-books or online library services. It's been hampered up to now by the fact that you've got to download specialist software in order to create or use virtual resources, but this kind of thing is getting closer and closer: library management system suppliers are creating new catalogues where you can flip through book covers to choose a book, and companies like Ideal Binary are creating apps that not only allow you to read e-books, but which add functionality that allows you to engage with the book in new and exciting ways.

How libraries use these technologies

1. Canterbury Christchurch University are currently creating maps to indicate the location of books on their shelves

2. In Second Life libraries (predominantly in America and Australia) are:

Running reading groups
Offering enquiry services
Providing links to e-resources
Holding courses or exhibitions

In July 2011 Birmingham opened up its library in Second Life, allowing residents to see what the new physical building will look like. Have a look at Birmingham's press release.

3. Using a Google Maps mashup, Florida Libraries pinpoint the locations of all their libraries. The British Library have created a Life in London mashup, using photographs from their collection, mashed with a Google map.

4. Brighton and Hove Council used Foursquare to encourage people into libraries

5. Librarything have created a mobile app called Library Anywhere. For libraries who subscribe, their users can get access to the online catalogue and also renew items, place reservations and find their nearest library on their mobiles. In November 2010 over 40 libraries across the world were using this app.

6. The British Library have a project called Turning the Pages, which gives a lovely virtual experience of reading manuscripts. Unfortunately you've got to download Silverlight software to experience it, which isn't straightforward - this might explain why the BL hasn't taken the project forward since 2007. If you've got the patience, you can play with it at http://www.bl.uk/ttp2/hiddentreasures.html/, where the BL has digitised important resources from UK public libraries.

7. QR codes are being freely used by libraries all over the world. Have a look at http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=QR_Codes.

Activities

With libraries closing and statistics showing evidence of less use, do you think virtual library services represent our future or are are they just simply a red herring? Write about it on your blog.
Invent an app. What do you think a member of the public would want to do with the library service, using their mobile phone? Write about it on your blog.

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Start pages

helenleech — Mon, 16 May 2011 08:19:56 CDT

(Guide time: 1 hour.)

What is a start page?

When you switch on your computer at home and go to the internet, you can set it so that it automatically starts up with the website of your choice. Some people set it up so that it starts with Google on the screen, and some people set it up so that their email account is the first thing they see. Well, lots of people are now creating a "start page", which is the first thing that boots up when they use the internet.

When you switch on your computer at home and go to the internet, you can set it so that it automatically starts up with the website of your choice. Some people set it up so that it starts with Google on the screen, and some people set it up so that their email account is the first thing they see.

Well, lots of people are now creating a "start page", which is the first thing that boots up when they use the internet.

(Photo courtesy of Basegreen. Original can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/basegreen/205733912/)

A start page is a great thing, because you can bring together a whole range of bits and pieces in one place. Do you want a search engine? Put it on your start page. Want to see what emails people have sent you overnight? Put a feed in your start page. What have people been saying on Twitter? Do you want your bookmarks listed? Do you want to know what the latest BBC news is? Put them all on your start page. There's an astonishing range of gadgets (also sometimes called apps), available for you to add.

Start pages can also be called home pages or front pages. Like so much other useful stuff, you don't need special software to create a start page, and you can do it free.

Examples
iGoogle,
Netvibes,
Pageflakes.

Why use these?

Well, it's really useful and time saving to be able to pull all the stuff you've created into one page.
But more generally you need to get familiar with the concept, because it's going to get more and more important over the next few years. Some libraries are already partnering with Anywhere.me, which puts a start page onto the front screen of every People's Network terminal.

It seems clear that we're going to move away from heavy, static information sitting on our websites. Instead, we can pull information from all the interactive things we do. We can advertise our events on Facebook and our conversations with the public on Twitter and our book reviews on LibraryThing and our recommended urls on Delicious, and then pull them all into one place, on something like a start page, for members of the public to use.

How libraries use this

The next generation of library management systems are based on this principle. When a member of the public goes to a library catalogue, the page includes a window containing recommendations from staff, another window showing latest book reviews by the public, another window with a little poll asking the user to vote on the best children's book of 2010, etc.

Examples

Doncaster libraries - the first Axiell customer to implement the new Arena content management system. The top pages are built on start page principles.
Edinburgh City Libraries
Devon libraries
Manchester libraries

CILIP's "Defining our Professional Future" page uses Netvibes, although it looks a little unloved. A more active network is "Librarians as Teachers", which uses Spruz.

The best way to find out what they do is to create one, so go straight to the activity below!

Activity

How to set up an iGoogle start page. (You might want to print out these instructions so you can follow them step by step.)

1. Go to www.iGoogle.com (note the "i".)

2. You'll be presented with a blue box saying "Welcome to iGoogle, your home on the web.Start by selecting some of our most popular content." Choose one of the applications - any of them, it doesn't matter which - by ticking the radio button. Then click on "save".

3. You've now created your start page. Have a look at the kind of things that are there.

4. Now delete all of them. (You'll find a little down-pointing arrow at the top right of each one. Click on that, then click on "delete this gadget".) You should be able to delete all of the little windows in the centre of your screen.

5. Now change your theme. Look at the top right of the screen and you will find the words "change theme from classic". Click on it, pick one you like, and click on "Add it now".

6. Now close the theme box - you'll find a little x in the top right of the window.

7. Now click on "add stuff", which you'll find in the banner at the top of your screen.

8. In the "search for gadgets" box, type "twitter".

9. Choose any Twitter application and click on "add it now".

10. Click on "Back to iGoogle home", which you'll find at the top left.

11. You should find a little window open, saying "connect to twitter.com", or you may have to click on the "Twitter Reader" gadget on your start page. Either way, you'll have to type in your Twitter login and password. Once you have, you'll see tweets from all the people you're following.

12. Click on "add stuff" again, and explore what gadgets are available. There's an astonishing number of them... Try looking for the software you've tried out so far in this course: Twitter, Flickr, Blogger. You should be able to add the various bits and pieces you've created so far. Or you can try looking for library catalogues, or for search engines, or tv listings, or to do lists, or bbc. Add as many as you like. If you've got a Hotmail or Google or Yahoo email account, you can also find and add them.

13. Go to one of the three applications mentioned above (iGoogle or Netvibes or Pageflakes), find a start page that somebody else has created that appeals to you, and put the web address on your blog, along with one line about why you like it.

If you do this activity from home, you don't need to save it. Scarily, Google will remember who you are. All you need to do is click on "make iGoogle my home page", and this page will come up first every time. However, if you want to save it just to make sure - or to access it from other computers - you'll need to use your Google account (if you have one) to sign in, THEN create your start page. This also gives you additional functionality like game playing or chatting.

One interesting thing to consider is that start pages are intended for individuals. This means that iGoogle pages can't be shared with your friends (although Netvibes and Pageflakes can), and you won't find other people's Start Pages using a search engine like Google.

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Twitter and microblogging (Core)

helenleech — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:30:20 CDT

(Guide time: 90 minutes.)

What is microblogging?

Microblogging is a form of blogging, but its content is smaller/shorter (you may have heard of Twitter).

Microblog entries might be an update about a persons day, a photograph, a message sent to another microblogger, a bit of wit and wisdom, or an informative link about a subject they think other people might be interested in.

Why do this?

Recently microblogging services have been used as a way to provide up-to-the-minute news. An update can be sent within seconds of something happening and that update can be seen by millions of other microbloggers straight away.

Commercial microblogs also exist to promote websites, services and/or products, and to assist collaboration within an organisation. It can increase opportunities to share information and help realise and utilise expertise within the workforce. Hosted microblogging platforms, such as Present.ly, Socialcast and Yammer, are also available for commercial and organizational use.

Some microblogging services, including Twitter, offer features such as privacy settings, which allow users to control who can read their microblogs. Security concerns have been voiced within the business world, since there is potential for sensitive work information to be publicised on microblogging sites. As a result, local authorities are increasingly setting up accounts with Yammer and Present.ly, so that their staff can "tweet" to colleagues, rather than to the outside world. If your organisation uses Yammer, it would be useful if you could tell other people about it using the "suggestions of good practice" link at the bottom of this page.

Example

Twitter

Have you heard people talking about Twitter? Wonder what a “tweet” is? Well, get ready for some fun!

First, watch this video: How to use Twitter.

Twitter allows each user to send a short update (a "Tweet") on their current activity to a selected group of followers from a computer or mobile phone. Each update is limited to just 140 characters. Users can view “Tweets” via the Web, via an RSS feed, and via text on a mobile phone, or any number of third party apps. (An app is a software application which allows you to do an activity of some kind. These days, it's particularly associated with mobile phones.)

How libraries use this

Libraries are using Twitter as a means for alerts. Manchester Libraries use Twitter to tell their followers about library events, provide links to interesting library related information, and they link to entries on their blog. Sheffield Libraries provide links to library events, web site additions and also details of their book of the day. Orkney library service have built up nearly 3000 followers by being wonderfully subversive.

Here's a Guardian article about libraries using Twitter.

Brighton and Hove started keeping a list of library services on Twitter, but don't seem to be keeping it up to date. What a pity. It would be useful to have a list somewhere. (Any volunteers?)

Twitter in action

The power of Twitter cannot be underestimated. It's a valuable resource for gauging public opinion on a current topic or identifying emerging trends. If you use Google Realtime, this search engine will find up to the second tweets on any topic you are interested in. Try it!

Twitter has also been linked with improving students' grade point average at school.

Twitter and the Law

It's very important to be careful what you tweet about. An inappropriate, menacing or libelous tweet can land you in court. It makes no difference how few people actually read the tweet either, a careless tweeter can get into serious trouble.

It's currently unclear if tweets can be copyrighted. Re-using somebody else's images posted via Twitter is also a murky legal issue. Our advice would be to always seek permission from the original tweeter before re-posting on a different medium.

The popularity of Twitter has meant that it's become a target for hackers. If your account is highjacked it can cause considerable embarrassment.

Alternatives

Apart from Twitter the most notable services are: Tumblr Plurk Emote.in Jaiku 10 Micro-Blogging Tools Compared

Activities

Visit Twitter and sign up for a free account. Try a few tweets.
Does your library service twitter? If so, visit the account and “follow” it.
Search Twitter for anything or anyone that interests you. Follow them. What conversations did you find?
Blog about the experience and be sure to post your Twitter username there so others can see it and follow you. Did you like micro-blogging? How else could libraries use Twitter? How could you use Twitter?

Recommended followups

• Twitter- The Tweet that Shook the World
• Making the Most of Twitter
• All a Twitter: Want to Try Microblogging? 2008 article in School Library Journal.

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Flickr, photos and images (Core)

Claraglocke — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:50:36 CST

(Guide time: 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.)

What can you do with photos and images?

Even if you’ve never used Flickr, you are likely to have heard of it. Photo sharing websites have been around since the 90s, but it took Flickr, a small startup site, to catapult the idea of “sharing” into a full blown online community.

Flickr is also known as one of the first websites to use keyword tags to create associations and connections between photos. Users can tag photos with descriptive words and phrases to help other users identify and search for photos. (And if you’re not familiar with tagging, Don’t Panic! We’ll cover that in more depth in Tagging and social bookmarking!) Photos can be marked public or private so that you can choose who sees what.

Before you start to explore Flickr; watch commoncraft’s common sense introduction to Flickr and photosharing.

Why do this?

Within the past few years, Flickr (now owned by Yahoo) has become one of the most popular photo sharing sites on the web. It’s become so popular that library staff often get asked for help with Flickr by members of the public using library PCs. In addition, many libraries are creating accounts to promote their services.

Some of the ways that libraries use Flickr

To increase access to publicly-held photography collections:

Tyneside Life and Times Collection
Sunderland's pictures of the Blitz- These have also been added to a Google map to show where the bombs fell.
National Library of Scotland has made many images from its collections available.
The Library of Congress posted a set of 'mystery pictures' and asked Flickr users to help identify them!

Community involvement:

South Ayrshire Libraries
'I love North City' is a community photo project run by Manchester Libraries.

Library event promotion:

Using others' images

Uploaded images are also a great resource when looking for pictures for displays and posters. Before downloading or copying an image from the web to use in your own work, always ensure that you have the creators permission to use their work and give them full credit.

There are several sites which gather together images which their creators are happy to share. Often use of these images is controlled by Creative Commons licences. More about these licences can be found here. Examples of sites offering free images are:

Activity

To complete this week's activity you now have 2 options. (You might want to print out these instructions so you can follow them step by step.)

To use photos on Flickr and/or upload your own you will need a Yahoo, Flickr or Google ID. However, you can browse the photos without joining up.

Either: For those of you who do not want to set up a Flickr account

1. Take the Flickr tour and find an interesting image that you want to blog about. You can explore Flickr photos, search the tags, view various groups, and more without a Flickr account.

2. Use any keyword(s) (e.g. football, cats, llamas, library), your authority or whatever…to find photos with those tags.

3. When you find an interesting image or group using Flickr, blog about your experience. Include a link to the image in the post and be sure to credit the photographer.

4. Understand Creative Commons and licensing your photos at Flickr by visiting the Flickr Creative Commons page.

5. Complete a further activity from the recommended followups below.

Or: The better option for those of you who want to create a Flickr account

1. Create a Free Account in Flickr (note that Flickr is now part of Yahoo. If you have a Yahoo account for email or MyYahoo, log in with that. If not you will need to create a new Yahoo email account).

2. You can use a digital camera to capture a few pictures of something in your library, for example, or maybe you already have some suitable digital images you could use for this exercise.

3. Upload these to your new Flickr account and tag at least one of the images with (name of your authority) Libraries – 23 Things. Be sure to mark the photo public. Read more about Flickr tagging. Go ahead and add your tag(s).

Remember that when uploading photos it is always advisable to get the person's permission before making their photo publicly accessible on a site like Flickr. Do not post photos that you did not take and pretend they are your own. If you have permission to post someone else's pictures, give their name.

4. Add one or more of your images to your blog. You can add the image in one of two ways:

Flickr’s blogging tool lets you click the “Blog This” button (right above the picture) and add any public photo on Flickr to your blog (remember that you will need a Flickr account to see the button).
Wordpress blogs allow you to add photos from your computer or from the Web and choose the placement in your blog post. Click the little image icon in the toolbar on the New Post page—it is in the row of tools above the post box after Upload/Insert. Follow the instructions in the pop up box.

5. Once you have the photo uploaded and tagged, create a post in your blog about your photo and Flickr experience.
Will you use Flickr for the library or for your personal photos, or in another way?

6. Understand Creative Commons and licensing your photos at Flickr by visiting the Flickr Creative Commons page.

Recommended followups

If you have some time left or simply want to learn more, try one of the following activities:

(1) If you have a Flickr account, consider joining and contributing photos to a Flickr group. Here are two you might want to look at:

(2) If you wish to explore further here are some other photo sharing sites from the list below to see what else is out there. Remember to check out the ownership policy when posting pictures online.

Picasa (need a Google email/account for this)
Fotki
Photobucket
Share on Ovi
SmugMug
Shutterfly

(3) Flickr encourages everyone to build online applications which use images found on the site. Explore some of these on Flickr's App Garden and post a comment on your blog. Here are a couple of ideas you might be interested in:

Show where you have been on your travels by adding your holiday snaps to a map with Mappr.
Be creative and gather photos into a mosaic using Montager.
Turn your photo into a jigsaw.

So go ahead, look around the site and have some Flickr photo fun!

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Youtube and video

helenleech — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:24:13 CST

(Guide time: 40 minutes to 1 hour.)

What are online videos?

Online videos are videos stored on a video hosting site, not on your computer. Video hosting sites allow users to search for and watch videos, without the need for a television - they can be played back on your computer or mobile phone.

For example this clip about the introduction of the book:

Wikis

helenleech — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:17:46 CST

(Guide time: 40 minutes to 1 hour.)

What is a wiki?

If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, you might have heard the term “wiki wiki,” meaning, “quick quick,” and a wiki is a very fast way of making a basic website that allows multiple people to collaborate on, add, remove, and edit its content.

The ease of interaction makes wikis an effective tool for organizing content and collaborating on ideas.

(c) wiki wiki from Wikipedia

Why do this?

Anyone (registered or unregistered, if the site is unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily identify what has been changed and by whom.
There are areas for talking (eg comments, discussion, and/or news pages)
Earlier versions of a page can be viewed and re-instated when needed.
Users don't need to know HTML, web design, or have experience of building web pages in order to add and edit content, or apply styles to text. Most wikis are no more difficult than editing a Microsoft Word document.

For an introduction to wikis take a look at this short video: commoncraft’s no-nonsense introduction to wikis.

Example

The most famous wiki is Wikipedia, an online encyclopaedia that was created by and is constantly being updated by thousands and thousands of contributors. Anybody at all can add or update an article - you or I can just go in and change whatever we want. The reason it works is because so many people keep an eye on it. If somebody adds something obscene, or biased, or just plain wrong, ten people will be along shortly to change it.

Some of the ways in which libraries use wikis:

Idea Sharing

The library success wiki was created to be a one-stop shop for great ideas and information for all types of librarians from all over the world. Their opening paragraph gives a flavour of why this wiki was originally set up:

"If you’ve done something at your library that you consider a success, please write about it in the wiki or provide a link to outside coverage. If you have materials that would be helpful to other librarians, add them to the wiki. And if you know of a librarian or a library that is doing something great, feel free to include information or links to it. Basically, if you know of anything that might be useful to other librarians (including useful websites), this is the place to put it. I hope this wiki will be a venue where people can share ideas with one another and where librarians can learn to replicate the successes of other libraries."

Libraries and Web2.0 is a relatively new UK based wiki, featuring various Public Library services and their response to Web2.0.

Wikihow is a fantastically useful wiki for librarians and lovers of learning new things. It is a how-to manual that can be edited by anyone. Things that you can learn range from "how to make your own Soduku pattern" to "how to read a chest X-ray". Categories of articles include health, hobbies, computers, pets, home and travel.

A day in the life of a library is an interesting project which encourages people to describe what it's like to work in a library.

Staff Manuals

ULCat is an example of how Wikis can be used in-house for staff purposes. This wiki holds the procedural manuals for acquisitions and cataloguing as well as Marc 21 crib sheets for an array of material.

Staff Training and/or long distance collaborative work

This version of 23 Things has been written on a wiki. It means that all the course designers - about ten of them - have been able not only to add Things, but also to alter each other's work. Furthermore use of wiki software has enabled people in different library authorities to get together online to write the course, or indeed to do it.

Conference Sites

American Library Association 2010 conference This gives locals and past attendees the chance to share information with conference participants. This is not restricted to the contents of the conference but can also include recommendations for places to eat.

Reading Groups & Book reviews

Portsmouth use a wiki for their Teen Reading Group.

Public Interaction

The Bridge of Allan Library in Stirling has started a Travel Group for members of the public. Members of the group share information about their travel experiences using a wiki.

Quick word of warning

The flip side of the increased ease of collaboration, is the decrease in control of content. User contribution and the sharing of files run the risk of breaking copyright law or the posting of illegal or defamatory content. For more on this please refer to the module on legal issues.

Activities

Spend some time investigating the wikis mentioned above.
Take a look at one or two of the links below to find out more about wikis:
- WikiMatrix – A tool that offers you the ability to compare side-by-side features and functionality of wikis.
- List of wikis - Examples of webpages made using wikis.
- Wiki index – A wiki of wikis.
Write a blog post about wikis. What do you think of the ones you have seen? Can you think about how you might use a wiki for a work or personal situation? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of libraries using a wiki?

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Audio

portsmouthlibraries — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:38:19 CST

(Guide time: 1 hour.)

After completing this section you will be able to choose and download a podcast or tune from the internet and know more about downloadable audiobooks and libraries.

Being able to listen to or download audio is a common feature of the internet. This type of audio is stored on the internet and you can either listen to it directly from the internet (this is called streaming), or download it legally to listen to on your computer or audio file/mp3 player.

Digital audio books

There has been an increase in the number of library services subscribing to online audio books resources, so being aware of the product is essential. York Libraries and Windsor and Maidenhead libraries are two examples of this. Members of the library can borrow digital audio books (as well as eBooks and often music too) for a limited period of time. Once this time has lapsed the digital file automatically erases itself from the borrowers computer or MP3 player.
Other useful sites for digital audio books are:

Project Gutenberg (Provides free audio books for download).
Librivox (volunteers reading books in the public domain).
100 Useful Links for eBook Lovers (As well as providing good sources for eBooks, this list contains several providers of digital audiobooks, both free and commercial).
Insight Radio (The Radio Station of the RNIB includes discussions about audio books and links to audio book sites).

For more information on eBooks please refer to the DIY library section.

Organising your music

The internet also provides a way in which you can organise your favourite tracks and receive music recommendations based on artists you already listen to.

Examples

last.fm
Spotify (may be blocked on some computers)
Maestro.fm

Podcasts

The term podcast refers to audio files (mostly speech, rather than music) distributed over the internet and made available for people to download and listen to whenever they want. The type of podcast available varies greatly. Some only last a couple of minutes, others last much longer. Some have been developed professionally and others have been created in someone's bedroom. They cover all genres and subject areas. If you have a long commute, regularly go to the gym or want something to listen to in your free time then podcasts might be for you.

A helpful explanation of podcasting is given in the following video from commoncraft: Podcasting In Plain English

The application most associated with podcasts and downloadable audio is Apple's iTunes, but if you don’t have iTunes installed there are still plenty of options. For example,

The BBC radio site allows you to listen to radio programmes live or previously broadcast and also lets you download podcasts. You can search the site for programmes you want to listen to and you can also subscribe to podcasts via RSS feeds via your RSS feed reader or podcatcher, keeping you up-to-date with the latest podcasts available from the BBC.
The Open University (provides free video and audio podcasts for Open University courses).
Podcastingnews (Provides a directory of podcasts covering a large range of subjects).

Podcatchers

You can also subscribe to podcast shows that are regularly released using a podcatcher, which is basically an RSS feed reader for podcasts. If you want to try a free popular podcatcher, try Juice. Some podcatchers automatically transfer new podcasts to your MP3 player.

Creating your own podcast

Creating a podcast is beyond the scope of this course, but as a starting point, you would need to:

record your audio (microphone and audio recording software)
publish it in a podcast friendly way (ie text titles, tags and descriptions)
use an online hosting site to upload the podcast to.

A useful starting point is the following tutorial: How to podcast.

Why use podcasts?

Podcasts can be used to quickly get a message across, whether it's a promotional message to library users or a message to staff from the head of a library service.

It can be used to improve both internal and external communication (sometimes it's easier to listen to something, rather than reading it).

How libraries use this

Newcastle Libraries have produced podcasts of author events and discussions about library services.
Hampshire Libraries have produced podcasts for visually impaired users and those who receive home services.
The University of Limerick Library has created an audio tour to help guide users.
Surrey public libraries created a podcast with Eagle Radio to advertise the the launch of the new eBook and eAudiobook download service.

Activities

Search for a podcast on the BBC website. Subscribe to the feed of this podcast via your RSS feed reader or podcatcher. Download the podcast and listen to it.
Search for an audiobook on the Project Gutenberg site and download it.
Blog about your experience.

Recommended followups

Podcasting: If Terry Wogan can do it, so can we... Aberdeen University staff's experience of producing podcasts.

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Online tools

portsmouthlibraries — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:33:50 CST

(Guide time: 1hour 10 minutes.)

What are online tools?

Web 2.0 is a platform for working, communicating and collaborating. The Web can now provide services to multiple customers across a network, therefore taking away the need to use a specific computer with particular software installed on it.

This Thing will outline some useful tools available online that can make your work easier and more productive.

(c) Exfordy/Flickr

Why use these?

Online tools are usually free, can offer functionality in various areas and can be accessed from any PC that is connected to the internet, meaning that they can easily be accessed by many people at any time.

Examples

Staying in touch Communicating over the Internet is now all about chat, phone calls and video calling. Most of this software is available from any computer, making communication flexible and usually free. Webmail (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail) Skype Web Chat (Messenger, Meebo, MSN Messenger) Twiddla (web conferencing)	Contacts and calendars These tools allow you to manage your schedule and arrange meetings with minimum fuss. Google Contacts Google Calendar Doodle (for scheduling meetings)
Office suites Forget Microsoft Office. These perfectly acceptable online office applications are easy to use, can be accessed on any computer and even permit you to write your document in collaboration with others. Google Docs Zoho	To-do lists If you need an online personal assistant then you could do a lot worse than use a to do list. Remember the milk Todoist
Online storage Have a document too big to email? Then consider these utilities. You can store files in the cloud and share them with others if you send them the link. Docstoc Sugarsync Slideshare (for storing and sharing Powerpoint presentations)	Editing photos Many powerful photo editing tools can be found online for free. They're fantastic for removing red-eye, cropping, resizing and adjusting exposure. Picnik Fotoflexer Pixlr Photoshop.com
Organising notes and creating scrapbooks If you're the kind of person that writes on post-its, or leaves scraps of paper in your pocket with reminders of interesting things to do or see, you might be interested to hear that you can now dump notes, photos, Web clippings and much more into an online account. If you are a creative, crafty person you can create virtual scrapbooks with your digital photos, personalising your albums with themes. Evernote Scrapblog	Organising your music Enjoying music is often a social thing, and the cloud now provides a way in which you can share you favourite tracks and receive music recommendations based on artists you already listen to. It's now also possible to keep your music collection in the cloud thereby releasing you from the anxiety of potential hard drive failure. last.fm Spotify (may be blocked on some computers) Maestro.fm

This table discusses just a fraction of the online tools available to you. There are too many to list here! Take a look at this list of online productivity tools, organised by function.

(c) OhDearBarb/Flickr

What are libraries doing?

Library services working on projects with staff based in different locations make use of Doodle to arrange meetings, or Google Docs to edit documents. Slideshare is commonly used to provide access to training and information to library staff. Calendars allow many people access to and the ability and update timetables. Libraries can reduce the need for travelling to meetings by using services such as Twiddla.

Activities

1. Watch this video from commoncraft about Google Docs: Google Docs in Plain English

2. Let's explore Google Docs.

You should already have a Google account. Sign in.
On the Google homepage, expand the 'more' drop down menu (at the top of the page) and select 'Documents'
Have a play and create a new document, presentation or spreadsheet. The 'Create new' button will help you do this.
Save your document (it will save automatically in Google).

After working on a document, it's possible to share it with others so they can make edits if necessary. The 'Share' button will allow you to add the email addresses of colleagues you want to share the document with. They will receive a link in their email to the documents you have invited them to take a look at. Working on the same document together avoids the hell of emailing alternative versions backwards and forwards. (Note: there are data protection problems if you use Google Docs to store, for example, membership databases. But you wouldn't want to do that, would you?)

3. On your blog reflect on the value of Google Docs. Would it be of any use in your work or home life? Were there any drawbacks or problems you experienced?

4. Find out how your library service is using online tools like the ones mentioned above.

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Cloud computing

portsmouthlibraries — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:23:14 CST

(Guide time: 40 to 50 minutes.)

What is cloud computing?

Image by Bruce Clay, Inc.

Most of you have probably used cloud computing without even realising it. You are saving information "in the cloud" when you are writing your blog for this course and this course is an example of cloud computing using Wetpaint Wiki which all contributors were able to access remotely.

The term "cloud computing" refers to a new generation of computing that uses distant servers for data storage and management, rather than using software on personal computers or saving to local servers that require a team of IT technicians to maintain and repair.

Watch this Commoncraft video: Cloud Computing in Plain English.

Example

In order to see how this works, read about some companies and how they are using cloud computing in this Guardian newspaper article what is cloud computing?

Why use this?

Reduced Cost
Cloud technology is paid incrementally, saving organisations money. You only pay for what you use (rather like electricity). There is no need to pay up front for servers and their storage.
Increased Storage
Organisations can store more data than on private computer systems.
Highly Automated
IT personnel no longer need to worry about keeping software up to date.
More Mobility
Employees can access information wherever they are, rather than having to remain at their desks.
Allows IT to Shift Focus
No longer having to worry about constant server updates and other computing issues, government organisations will be free to concentrate on innovation.

(From Web 2.0 journal article: Six Benefits of Cloud Computing)

Cloud providers like Amazon cater to major markets by deploying local infrastructure and allowing customers to select “availability zones”. This is to abide by local laws, especially Data Protection.

How libraries use this

Any library that has a Facebook page, a Twitter, Youtube or Flickr account could be said to be in the cloud. To take this even further, in 2009 OCLC announced the development of a library management system in the cloud, including circulation and acquisitions modules.

The cloud can also be used for collaboration and working more efficiently. Online tools will cover some of these applications later.

There are important legal, privacy and security considerations to bear in mind when using cloud computing. This will be discussed in The legal bit.

Activities

Read this Guardian newspaper Cloud computing means processing for all.
Read "What is cloud computing and how will it affect libraries".
Think about what you and your authority do that is "in the cloud".
Blog about your understanding of cloud computing.

Recommended followups

Read this Guardian newspaper article on the Government's plans for it's own cloud computing system.
For further information about the range of tools available in the cloud that you can use personally and professionally, read "THE ROUGH GUIDE to Cloud computing" by Peter Buckley, ISBN: 9781848365209 (2/2010). This small volume is an excellent practical directory of tools.

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The last thing

geofelgie — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:17:14 CST

(Guide time: 40 minutes to 1 hour.)

Well, congratulations, you're through to The Last Thing.

Actually, we should have called it Two Last Things, because there are two activities we want you to complete before you can claim to have finished.

Photo courtesy of Fimb

Well, congratulations, you're through to The Last Thing. Actually, we should have called it Two Last Things, because there are two activities we want you to complete before you can claim to have finished.	Photo courtesy of Fimb

Activities:

1. Find a Web 2.0 application that you think could be useful in either your work or private life. It would be best to avoid using tools that require any software downloading. Use the web pages below, but don't feel restricted to them if you want to go hunting elsewhere. Blog about the tool you have found. Recommend it to the others on this course.

Online tools (you might recognise this one!)
Gotoweb20
Web 2.0 tools from Phil Bradley's website

2. If you were given complete freedom, what would you do with what you've learnt? Would you set up a Twitter account for your library? Would you start your own company using Web 2.0 technologies? Would you run courses for your friends and neighbours? Or would you ignore the whole thing and hope it all goes away? Write this up in your blog.

NOW: You've finished! Your next step is to let your course supervisor know. If you've been doing this independently, (in other words you don't work for a local authority which is rolling out the course), and you work for a UK public library, you need to email your name, job title and the address of your blog to virtuallibrary@surreycc.gov.uk. If you've been doing this independently and DON'T work for a UK public library - pat yourself on the back!

We hope that this course has encouraged you to explore the potential of Web 2.0 and to think about new ways of delivering or promoting library services. We also hope you got something out of it for yourself.

And one last message for you to take away: it's important to PLAY!

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Maps

geofelgie — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:11:12 CST

(Guide time: 50 to 80 minutes.)

What can you do with maps?

You may well have already explored Google Maps but have you seen how much it can do?
Photo courtesy of Aram Bartholl.
Just in case you haven’t used it, Google Maps is an online mapping service that you use to pan (by dragging the mouse) and zoom (by using the mouse wheel) into a desired location. Alternatively, you can enter an address, postcode, city, or landmark to quickly find it on the map.

(Castle Hill in Kirklees on Google Maps)

Go to Google Maps and enter the postcode or address of a place known to you – your library, your house, the hairdresser’s etc.

Use the map, satellite, and more buttons to look at the different views of this location. Zoom in using the mouse wheel to see how detailed a map you can get.

If you do look at your library, how old do you think the satellite view is and what day of the week do you think it was taken?

Like many other map services, Google Maps can generate directions between any pair of locations. In Google Maps, click the Get Directions link to find how to get from your home town to Madrid.

Google Maps has given rise to a number of interesting offshoot projects and fan sites you might want to explore:

Google Maps Street View

When looking at your chosen location, if the little man above the map controls is orange, you can get a street view of that area. To do that just click on the little orange man and drag and drop him into the street you’re looking at. This will let you virtually walk down the street.

Specialized Maps

Maps can be created that collect and display collected information. For example Surrey libraries have created the Surrey fiction map which contains details of works of fiction set in Surrey.

The Guardian have set up a live literary map for people to suggest book readings, book slams, poetry readings and other live literary events.

If you have a Google login (if you're registered with Google), you can create and share your own maps. Use the My Maps tab in Google Maps to create a map of your own and add some place marks. Make sure your map is public, then use the Link to the page link to copy and paste the web address of your map into your blog.

Activities

1. Google Street View has had a lot of press coverage all over the world. If you haven’t heard about it, try a Google search to find out why it has been so controversial. To get you started have a look at this article from The Telegraph: Google pulls ‘embarrassing’ Street View images.

2. Your local authority will have its own planning department, and will probably have an interactive map on its website. Find it, and blog about how it compares to Google maps. (Careful! Think about who could read your opinions.)

Recommended followups

Click on the link to see a video that will show you how to Create Personalized Maps. (Don't forget that you'll need a Google account to do the stuff it talks about.)

Explore some of the other maps sites:

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The diy library

geofelgie — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 04:08:31 CST

(Guide time: 50 minutes.)

What is a DIY library?

Many people believe that the future lies in people being able to create digital libraries of their own. They will carry around a device like a digital notepad, and using it they will be able to access a whole library of stuff that they’ve found and stored together.

Why do this?
You can imagine a scenario, in five year’s time, where a Jane Austen fan is commuting to work. On their digital tablet they will have stored all Austen’s books (all annotated with notes), plus all the BBC costume dramas, plus recordings of Georgian music, plus posts for the many Austen-related social networks that they belong to and a play they are writing about Austen’s illegitimate baby. (Well, it could have happened!) We’re starting to see this happening now, with people carrying iPhones and e-readers in their handbags and pockets. And there are all kinds of resources out there to support them:

subscription based or free loaned eBooks, eAudiobooks, MP3

commercial Google Books and free Project Gutenberg

social networking around book reading - discussion forums, blogs

How libraries use this

People feel really strongly about their reading, and libraries can take an active and unique role in helping them share their views.

Libraries are increasingly offering eBooks and eAudiobooks to their customers. Like paper books, they can only be borrowed for a set period of time, and then the downloads disappear from the device. Have a look at Surrey libraries' ebooks.

Libraries also use social networks to support reading and book groups. Portsmouth has a well-established wiki for teens. Other examples include Manchester's Lit List blog, while Blackburn with Darwen are using an external book group discussion forum. Orkney asks if you would like to be part of a reading group that does not have any meetings then suggests you might be interested in At home with Faber. Orkney Library & Archive has teamed up with publishers Faber & Faber to launch a new online reading group, which you can be involved in without leaving the comfort of your home. You can also follow on Orkney libraries' Facebook and by email.

Activities

1. eBooks and eAudiobooks

Read this general introduction to eBooks and eAudiobooks from Overdrive.
Does your library offer ebooks? If so, make sure you try one. (You might need to do this from home.)

2. Commercial Google Books and free Project Gutenberg books

Google Books is a commercial project which aims to digitise every book ever written – both the public domain stuff, which is out of copyright, and also the brand new stuff, on the shelves at your local bookshop. Watch this video, which explains what Google Books is about: Ben Bunnell speaks at Google@school - Google Books

Go to Google Books and find a book that interests you. Write on your blog about your experience - did you find Google Books easy to use, or confusing? See also Project Gutenberg, where volunteers make a huge number of out-of-copyright books available, as a comparison.

3. Book group resources

Investigate one of the libraries who have social networking sites (above) or one of the non library sites, such as Librarything or Goodreads.

Write a piece on your blog saying how useful this site would be for your reading group, or how much it inspired you to read something different.

Do you think that libraries should keep these sites up or leave it to the groups and enthusiasts themselves?

Recommended followups

Make a digital library of your own either by joining LibraryThing or GoodReads. (Your library might be running Frontline training which mentions these online resources.)

Have a good look at the following:

Whichbook.net - to help people choose their books.

Reader2reader - for online reviews and recommendations

Love reading

Gnod - The literature map in particular, offers interesting and idiosyncratic relationships between writers.

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23 Things - Recently Updated Pages

E-Books

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

Skeleton

E-audio book apps

How to publish your own e-book

Finding out more:

Introduction, Web 2.0, Library 2.0 (Core)

Introduction

Why do the course?

About 23 Things

The legal bit

What is Web 2.0?

Recommended followups

Recommended followups*

23 Things Home

Links

The legal bit (Core)

(Guide time: 60 minutes.)

What do we need to know about the legal side?

Privacy and Security

Child protection

Copyright and Creative Commons

Creative Commons

Libel, defamation, harassment and loss of reputation

Data protection

Data Security

Digital Economy Act (DEA)

Activities

Facebook and social networking (Core)

What is social networking?

Examples

Why use this?

"We know from a citizen panel survey 95% of 18-24 year olds use Facebook in our Borough." - Louise Kidney, Blackburn with Darwen, August 2011

How libraries use this

Social networking and the Law

Google +

Activities

Activity 1

Activity 2

Activity 3

Recommended followups

Blogging (Core)

What is a blog?

Why blog?

Why are blogs important?

How libraries use them

Set up a blog of your own

Set up your blog

Activities

Recommended followups

What's coming next?

So where are things going now? Have a look at this:

What's a Mashup?

What's the Semantic Web?

What else is heading our way?

Mobile technology

QR codes

Virtual Worlds

How libraries use these technologies

Activities

Blogroll

Start pages

What is a start page?

Why use these?

How libraries use this

Examples

Activity

Twitter and microblogging (Core)

What is microblogging?

Why do this?

Example

How libraries use this

Twitter in action

Twitter and the Law

Alternatives

Activities

Recommended followups

Flickr, photos and images (Core)

What can you do with photos and images?

Well, congratulations, you're through to The Last Thing.

Actually, we should have called it Two Last Things, because there are two activities we want you to complete before you can claim to have finished.

Photo courtesy of Fimb