mary in the junkyard - New Muscles
5 days ago
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Facebook Flunkies?
According to a study, students who use Facebook get lower grades than non-Facebook users.
The article does not point out how many students were included in the study, the number of years they were in college, courseloads, whether students worked as well as attend classes, etc.. I suppose we will have to wait for the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association on April 16 for the whole story.
The article does not point out how many students were included in the study, the number of years they were in college, courseloads, whether students worked as well as attend classes, etc.. I suppose we will have to wait for the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association on April 16 for the whole story.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thing 36: Comic Relief
Man...how many blogs can I make? Today I started a comic strip blog using StripGenerator!
There is just not enough coffee today that can wake me out of this snowy stupor. I will have to come up with names for the snowman and the little hedgehog.
If you can't read what the hedgehog says, you can click on the comic to read it directly from StripGenerator.
With a little luck, I might be the next Steven Spielberg in using Xtranormal Text-t0-Movie as well. The screen test for the potential actors is very exciting, as you can see!
There is just not enough coffee today that can wake me out of this snowy stupor. I will have to come up with names for the snowman and the little hedgehog.
If you can't read what the hedgehog says, you can click on the comic to read it directly from StripGenerator.
With a little luck, I might be the next Steven Spielberg in using Xtranormal Text-t0-Movie as well. The screen test for the potential actors is very exciting, as you can see!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thing 35: Book 2.0 Tools
What are you observing in your library about books and reading?
There is still a demand for books in my library. More than once I have observed students browsing the new fiction shelves, as well as writing papers using actual books (ones that I would have recommended, as well!). Not only that, but the library is home to book discussion groups of all kinds, and they are all well-attended.
Do you think these Book 2.0 tools hamper or enhance one's reading experience?
I can see the "Book 2.0" tools only enhancing one's reading experience. Many of the sites allow us to find new books, talk about books we are reading (or have read), and see what other people are reading. Contrary to popular belief, most readers are very social and would love to talk about their favorite books if they only had a chance.
Which of the sites/tools did you visit? What are they appealing features? Any features seem unnecessary or just there "because"?
I finally caught up with my friends and started a LibraryThing account. I always wanted a LibraryThing account not only to keep an inventory of my personal book collection, but also to find out what other people are reading. I also bookmarked the BookCrossing site and BookBrowse. I am disappointed that there is no BookCrossing site in St. Cloud! I can see myself visiting BookBrowse quite often, as it gives regular updates on upcoming fiction and non-fiction, as well as book reviews and opportunities to post comments about books and discuss them. I didn't see any unnecessary features on these sites, even though I might not have time to try them out right away. Being a heavy reader and a collection management librarian who does some selection for the collection where I work, I can see myself visiting many of these Book 2.0 sites. I might even add weRead to my Facebook account, but not now, or I will be on the computer far too often! I think I will add the GoodRead application to Facebook, though, as I would like to know what my friends are reading...it gives us something to talk about...:)
I humbly confess that I maintain a system of keeping wishlists and a count of what titles I have read in an old fashioned "book journal". It still remains the most convenient way for me to track what I have read in a year.
There is still a demand for books in my library. More than once I have observed students browsing the new fiction shelves, as well as writing papers using actual books (ones that I would have recommended, as well!). Not only that, but the library is home to book discussion groups of all kinds, and they are all well-attended.
Do you think these Book 2.0 tools hamper or enhance one's reading experience?
I can see the "Book 2.0" tools only enhancing one's reading experience. Many of the sites allow us to find new books, talk about books we are reading (or have read), and see what other people are reading. Contrary to popular belief, most readers are very social and would love to talk about their favorite books if they only had a chance.
Which of the sites/tools did you visit? What are they appealing features? Any features seem unnecessary or just there "because"?
I finally caught up with my friends and started a LibraryThing account. I always wanted a LibraryThing account not only to keep an inventory of my personal book collection, but also to find out what other people are reading. I also bookmarked the BookCrossing site and BookBrowse. I am disappointed that there is no BookCrossing site in St. Cloud! I can see myself visiting BookBrowse quite often, as it gives regular updates on upcoming fiction and non-fiction, as well as book reviews and opportunities to post comments about books and discuss them. I didn't see any unnecessary features on these sites, even though I might not have time to try them out right away. Being a heavy reader and a collection management librarian who does some selection for the collection where I work, I can see myself visiting many of these Book 2.0 sites. I might even add weRead to my Facebook account, but not now, or I will be on the computer far too often! I think I will add the GoodRead application to Facebook, though, as I would like to know what my friends are reading...it gives us something to talk about...:)
I humbly confess that I maintain a system of keeping wishlists and a count of what titles I have read in an old fashioned "book journal". It still remains the most convenient way for me to track what I have read in a year.
Thing 34: Online Answer Sites: Competition for Reference Librarians?
In the article "Evolution to Revolution to Chaos? Reference in Transition", Stephen Abram quotes from Barbara Quint "that Google answered as many reference queries in half an hour as all the reference librarians in the world did in 7 years".
That may be so, but it doesn't mean that Google gave all of those people a good answer, or the right answer. And though they would be ashamed to admit it, there are many people who search Google and never find their answer!
"Answer sites" are even less helpful than search engines, as they are not designed to refine a question or filter through the answers. It seems as if they are more designed for leisure reading rather than education. SnappyFingers is a good example of this type of answer site. For the heck of it, I typed "dog" into the search window, and the first few sites retrieved were commercial sites that just so happened to have "dog" in the product's name. Then there were questions and answers about particular breeds of dog, or dog-related issues. What if I wanted to know what a dog was? I would be quite confused. And I can't smack the computer like I would a vending machine if I didn't get the right answer for the time and effort I had spent.
Although it is true that many people these days exist in self-created bubbles of technology, where they can sit for hours chatting with friends, watching movies, preparing a report for the next day's meeting at work and surfing the net concurrently, not everyone is glued to their computers, and nor should they be. One of the reasons reference librarians still exist is for the human support that people look for in unfamiliar environments. To this day, the library remains an unnatural environment for many people. They are bewildered by shelves, computer labs, signs, stairs leading to who knows where. They need assurance that they are in the right place, plus a nudge in the right direction to find the information that they are looking for. In an academic library, the reference librarian will not only answer a question at the Reference Desk, but will show the patron how they located the answer. They will also answer questions for students or faculty if they are having trouble using the library databases, catalog, or the library website itself. And many times, patrons will also seek out the Reference Librarian to answer technology-related issues as well. No online or virtual resource will replace a Reference Librarian, because when a person is frustrated or confused, their brain will shut off to technology. They would like to speak with a human being who also has experienced this same level of confusion.
There are many questions, however, which Reference Librarians may never be asked. Not everyone feels comfortable asking for information at the Reference Desk regarding sensitive medical issues, or sexual orientation or gender identity issues. It is too public, for one thing, and for another thing, if the patron is not comfortable with the subject themselves, they may not approach the Reference Librarian for fear of judgment or rejection. People who do not speak English as their first language, or who come from particular ethnic or religious groups, may also be hesitant to approach a Reference Librarian for fear of not being understood or fear of judgment, or rejection. And so people who need information for sensitive personal issues will tend to search on their own for this information. In these cases, then, it is important for libraries to provide quality resources on those subjects, for no other reason than to save lives.
I revisited SnappyFingers to see what type of websites I would retrieve if I did searches for "gay" and "lesbian". Neither term pulled up results from authoritative LGBTIQ websites or even Wikipedia. In both cases, half of the results retrieved were quite childish--people on their personal blogs who insisted that they weren't gay or lesbian. The one definition that SnappyFingers retrieved for lesbian used terminology no longer used to describe lesbians, or even gay men. So these "Answer Sites" are like search engines that had lobotomies.
Reference Librarians will have jobs for many years to come--especially if they can continue to advise people on their information options. How awesome it would be if someone conducted a search on Google, clicked on a potentially inappropriate resource, and a pop-up window with the Reference Librarian on duty would appear, asking "Are you sure you want to visit that site? Here are other resources you should try--", and the Reference Librarian would provide a link to an ebook (or book in Reference or the catalog), a more authoritative website, or a journal article. That would be power. I always call librarians "the information mafia", as it is we who often control the flow and quality of information that people receive. We should be watching.
That may be so, but it doesn't mean that Google gave all of those people a good answer, or the right answer. And though they would be ashamed to admit it, there are many people who search Google and never find their answer!
"Answer sites" are even less helpful than search engines, as they are not designed to refine a question or filter through the answers. It seems as if they are more designed for leisure reading rather than education. SnappyFingers is a good example of this type of answer site. For the heck of it, I typed "dog" into the search window, and the first few sites retrieved were commercial sites that just so happened to have "dog" in the product's name. Then there were questions and answers about particular breeds of dog, or dog-related issues. What if I wanted to know what a dog was? I would be quite confused. And I can't smack the computer like I would a vending machine if I didn't get the right answer for the time and effort I had spent.
Although it is true that many people these days exist in self-created bubbles of technology, where they can sit for hours chatting with friends, watching movies, preparing a report for the next day's meeting at work and surfing the net concurrently, not everyone is glued to their computers, and nor should they be. One of the reasons reference librarians still exist is for the human support that people look for in unfamiliar environments. To this day, the library remains an unnatural environment for many people. They are bewildered by shelves, computer labs, signs, stairs leading to who knows where. They need assurance that they are in the right place, plus a nudge in the right direction to find the information that they are looking for. In an academic library, the reference librarian will not only answer a question at the Reference Desk, but will show the patron how they located the answer. They will also answer questions for students or faculty if they are having trouble using the library databases, catalog, or the library website itself. And many times, patrons will also seek out the Reference Librarian to answer technology-related issues as well. No online or virtual resource will replace a Reference Librarian, because when a person is frustrated or confused, their brain will shut off to technology. They would like to speak with a human being who also has experienced this same level of confusion.
There are many questions, however, which Reference Librarians may never be asked. Not everyone feels comfortable asking for information at the Reference Desk regarding sensitive medical issues, or sexual orientation or gender identity issues. It is too public, for one thing, and for another thing, if the patron is not comfortable with the subject themselves, they may not approach the Reference Librarian for fear of judgment or rejection. People who do not speak English as their first language, or who come from particular ethnic or religious groups, may also be hesitant to approach a Reference Librarian for fear of not being understood or fear of judgment, or rejection. And so people who need information for sensitive personal issues will tend to search on their own for this information. In these cases, then, it is important for libraries to provide quality resources on those subjects, for no other reason than to save lives.
I revisited SnappyFingers to see what type of websites I would retrieve if I did searches for "gay" and "lesbian". Neither term pulled up results from authoritative LGBTIQ websites or even Wikipedia. In both cases, half of the results retrieved were quite childish--people on their personal blogs who insisted that they weren't gay or lesbian. The one definition that SnappyFingers retrieved for lesbian used terminology no longer used to describe lesbians, or even gay men. So these "Answer Sites" are like search engines that had lobotomies.
Reference Librarians will have jobs for many years to come--especially if they can continue to advise people on their information options. How awesome it would be if someone conducted a search on Google, clicked on a potentially inappropriate resource, and a pop-up window with the Reference Librarian on duty would appear, asking "Are you sure you want to visit that site? Here are other resources you should try--", and the Reference Librarian would provide a link to an ebook (or book in Reference or the catalog), a more authoritative website, or a journal article. That would be power. I always call librarians "the information mafia", as it is we who often control the flow and quality of information that people receive. We should be watching.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thing 33: Travel 2.0
Never mind whether or not Travel 2.0 would be good for my library...I think Travel 2.0 is good for me, particularly My Kugelhopf. This blog alone, with its fabulous food and travel photography and recipes, makes me want to go somewhere.
In any case...Travel 2.0 makes for good entertainment, although I would hesitate to say that everything posted on a blog about a place is fact, unless the purpose of the blog is to give specific travel related advice.
In any case...Travel 2.0 makes for good entertainment, although I would hesitate to say that everything posted on a blog about a place is fact, unless the purpose of the blog is to give specific travel related advice.
Thing 32: Google Maps and Mashups
Google Maps Mania is awesome. Bloggers from around the world posted street views from Google Maps of their cities. Who knows what you will see there!
I had no idea that Google Maps had so many features. I could customize a Google Map to locate places of interest, so that is what I did...I wanted to look for the nearest Indian restaurant. Here is a bird's eye view of what, according to Google, Minnesota has to offer in the way of Indian (light blue dots), Japanese (dark blue dots), and Asian (brown dots) restaurants. Before you go up north to eat any Indian food, however, keep in mind that a search engine only recognizes keywords, but cannot necessarily pair a keyword up with the information that you want. All of the light blue dots on the map are either tribal colleges, tribal offices, restaurants with the name "Indian" in them, or mistakes (Panda Buffet is a Chinese restaurant). So Google played with me while I was having a serious samosa craving!
100 Things to Do with Google Maps Mashups is going to give me a lot to play with the next time I plan a trip or expect a package. Calculating taxi fare using TaxiWiz.com is also going to be very useful.
In regard to what Google Maps Mashups would be useful in my library...any one of these, as you never know what type of reference question someone will ask. In response to "Where's the bathroom?" I could direct someone to safe2pee.org...
A cool website that uses Google Map technology is The Kremer Collection site, which allows you to get closeups of paintings in the collection. The site also provides historical information about the paintings. You will be able to count every feather on the ducks of this painting:
I had no idea that Google Maps had so many features. I could customize a Google Map to locate places of interest, so that is what I did...I wanted to look for the nearest Indian restaurant. Here is a bird's eye view of what, according to Google, Minnesota has to offer in the way of Indian (light blue dots), Japanese (dark blue dots), and Asian (brown dots) restaurants. Before you go up north to eat any Indian food, however, keep in mind that a search engine only recognizes keywords, but cannot necessarily pair a keyword up with the information that you want. All of the light blue dots on the map are either tribal colleges, tribal offices, restaurants with the name "Indian" in them, or mistakes (Panda Buffet is a Chinese restaurant). So Google played with me while I was having a serious samosa craving!
100 Things to Do with Google Maps Mashups is going to give me a lot to play with the next time I plan a trip or expect a package. Calculating taxi fare using TaxiWiz.com is also going to be very useful.
In regard to what Google Maps Mashups would be useful in my library...any one of these, as you never know what type of reference question someone will ask. In response to "Where's the bathroom?" I could direct someone to safe2pee.org...
A cool website that uses Google Map technology is The Kremer Collection site, which allows you to get closeups of paintings in the collection. The site also provides historical information about the paintings. You will be able to count every feather on the ducks of this painting:
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