Thing 12 - Discover how VBPL is using IM and find out how you can get involved

Questions? Ask the Library! When we're online Monday - Thursday 3 to 7 pm or Saturday 1 to 5 p.m., you can chat live with a librarian. Send us an email anytime! Ask us a question over the telephone or on a visit to your local library. We're ready to help.


Reference and information giving are traditional library services that Virginia Beach (along with many other libraries) is translating into a virtual environment. For many years, VBPL has used an online form with an email response to assist customers in getting their information requests fulfilled via the Internet.

In September 2007, VBPL began offering customers the opportunity to use instant messaging to ask the library a question. The library has four instant messaging accounts: AOL, Yahoo, MSN and Google Talk. Our screen name is askvbpl.

In addition, anyone can ask us a question via IM without having their own personal IM account. All they need to do is type in a question in the Ask VBPL box on the Ask the Library web page at http://www.vbgov.com/vgn.aspx?vgnextoid=e582fd67f3ad9010VgnVCM100000870b640aRCRD&channel=true.

The Ask VBPL box is a cool Meebo tool. VBPL is using Meebo --- a web based instant messaging client to aggregate all four IM account and provide anonymous IM for customers without a personal IM account.

Meebo performs all of the most useful features of an instant messaging client through a computer’s web browser such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla or Firefox—without the need to install any software.

Meebo offers many advantages for the Library. Here are a few:

• Staff can do IM Reference from any Internet capable computer
• No software installs
• Lots of features
• Privacy protection
  

Discovery Resources

AHML Virtual Reference - YouTube video

Email is Dead - blog post at BigBlueBall.com


Meebo - About & Help

Meebo - Wikipedia article



Discovery Exercise

1. Explore at least 2 of the Discovery Resources listed above.
2. Observe an IM Reference transaction or talk to at least 1 person at your agency that is involved with IM Reference at VBPL. Find out about their experiences so far.
3. During the Ask VBPL service hours, go to the Ask the Library web page. Ask a question. All you need to do is type in the box. There are two boxes. The larger box displays the response to your question. The smaller box underneath it is where you type your question. It says in gray "Type here and hit enter to send a message".
4. Reflect on your exploration of IM by publishing a blog post about instant messaging and reference at the library. Are they a good mix?

Next week, we learn how to collaborate with Wikis!

Thing 11 - Read and find out about how libraries are using IM to serve customers

Listen to a podcast on Instant messaging.

Instant messaging (IM) is a form of online communication that allows real-time (or close to) interaction between two or more people through personal computers or mobile computing devices via the Internet. IM users can exchange messaging privately, similar to email, or join a group conversation. Although typed text remains the primary convention for IM, the technology has grown and now allows users to send images, audio and video files and other attachments.

Early version of IM appeared first in the late 1990s. The list of IM tools has grown to include dozens of applications. Technologies that enable IM such as wireless connectivity and web-ready mobile devices have become widespread.

The interactive nature of IM is closer to spoken conversation that written correspondence. Users communicate in a manner that is a step beyond email. They get a sense of presence of other IM users through emoticons and other devices. Yet, they have a perception of distance and often safety.

Hundreds of millions of people use IM to stay connected. According to the September 2004 study "How Americans Use Instant Messaging," by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 53 million adults send instant messages on a daily basis. More importantly, an entire generation --- the Millenninals ---is growing up using IM. They do not think of it as technology. It's a regular communication channel that suits their needs.

Discovery Resources

• IM me by Aaron Schmidt & Michael Stephens - Library Journal, 4/1/2005



• Instant Messaging - Wikipedia article



• Instant Messaging - It's not just for kids anymore by Marshal Breeding in Library Technology Guides.



• Instant Messaging Tools and Technology Mini Guide - Kolabora



• Introduction to Instant Messaging - 5 Weeks to a Social Librarian



• How American Use Instant Messaging - Pew Internet & American Family Life Report



• Teens and Technology - Pew Internet & American Family Life Report

Discovery Exercise

1. Read at least three of the articles in the Discovery Resources listed above.
2. Create a blog post that addresses the issue: IM and Libraries.

Here are some questions to get you started:
Why should libraries use IM?
How is IM different that traditional communication channels?
How many of the IM population are our customers and why should we care?

In the next blog post, you'll find out how VBPL is using IM.

Thing 10 - Locate a few useful library related blogs and/or news feeds

Now that you have a newsreader (your Bloglines account or Google Reader account), you can begin adding other newsfeeds that interest you. There are several ways you can locate newsfeeds:

• When visiting your favorite websites -- look for news feed icons that indicate the website that provides it. Often a feed icon will be displayed somewhere in the navigation bar of the site. (Here's an image that contains a sampling of several feed icons).



• Use Blogline's Search tool - Bloglines recently expanded search tool lets you search for news feeds in addition to posts, citations and the web. Use the Search for Feeds option to locate RSS feeds you might be interested in.

Other Search tools that can help you find feeds:

Feedster - One of the largest collections of RSS feeds, Feedster lets you search for feeds in three categories: news, blogs & podcasts

Topix.net - This search tool allows you to locate recent newsfeed items based upon keyword or phrase searching. The tool focuses specifically on news and media outlet RSS feeds for information, not weblogs.

Syndic8.com - Syndic8 is an open directory of RSS feeds that contains thousands of RSS feeds that users have submitted.

**Technorati - Technorati is a popular blog finding tool that lets you search for blogs. Since RSS feeds are inherent to all blogging tools, Technorati Blog Search can help you find RSS feeds for topic specific blogs you may be interested in.
Additonal Resource: Technorati Tutorial on finding and adding your blog

**In Week 8, we are going to talk more about Technorati and how it works with tags and blog posts. So, if you do not get to it this week, please do not worry about it.

NOTE: Even if you did not create a Bloglines or Google Reader account, you can do this Discovery Exercise.

Discovery Excercise:

1. Regardless of where you created an account with Bloglines or Google Reader, explore at least two of the search tools noted above and locate some feeds.

2. Create a blog post about your experience. Don't know what to blog about? Here are some questions to think about ...

Which method of finding feeds did you find easiest to use?
Which Search tool was the easiest for you?
Which was more confusing?
What kind of useful feeds did you find in your travels?
Or what kind of unusual ones did you find?
What other tools or ways did you find to locate newsfeeds?




EXTRA STUFF -- Feed icon information:

In Febuary of this last year, the adoption of a standard feed icon among websites and browsers finally began to assist in stopping the madness and confusion caused by so many variations. So far this icon has been adopted by many websites and browers, including Opera and FireFox, where it displays in the address bar:



The next release of Internet Explorer is supposed to have this as well. For more information about this emerging new standard, see Feedicons.com

Thing 9 - Learn about RSS feeds and setup your own Bloglines newsreader account

Listen to a podcast on RSS




Hear me at WildVoice.com

You’ve heard of RSS? You’ve seen those small funny tags on websites? You’ve heard co-workers and acquaintances swear by it, but still have no idea what RSS is? Well don’t worry, according to a recent survey you’re still in the majority, but this is changing rapidly. In the information world, RSS is not only revolutionalizing the way news, media and content creators share information, but it also is swiftly changing the way everyday users are consuming information.

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” or "Rich Site Summary" and is a file format for delivering regularly updated information over the web.

Just think about the websites and news information sources you visit every day. It takes time to visit those sites and scour the ad-filled and image-heavy pages for just the text you want to read, doesn’t it? Now imagine if you could visit all those information sources and web pages in just one place and all at the same time … without being bombarded with advertising… without having to search for new information on the page you’d already seen or read before… and without having to consume a lot of time visiting each site individually. Would that be valuable to you? Well, it’s available now through a newsreader and RSS.

This week’s discovery exercises focus on learning about RSS news feeds and setting up a Bloglines account (a free online newsreader) or a Google Reader account (another free one) for yourself. These readers bring all of your feeds together in one spot.

NOTE: You may not wish to set up RSS reader account. This is fine. However, you still need to explore the discovery resources and do one of the three discovery exercise options listed below the resources.

Discovery Resources:

RSS Feed in Plain English - a video introduction to RSS by Common Craft Production.

CNET Video: RSS – Feel the Need for Feeds (3:32) – a good over view of what RSS is and the benefits to users.

Feed Me: A gentle introduction to Internet feeds - a good tutorial from Palinet, a library cooperative

How to use Google Reader - a short tutorial by Andy Wibbels.

Using Bloglines Tutorial (how to keep up with dozens of blogs everyday) – This online tutorial walks you through how to setup a Bloglines account and add newsfeeds. Follow Steps 1 to 3 to set up your Bloglines account. Steps 4 – 9 are optional and cover how to subscribe to different types of feeds (podcasts, Flickr albums, etc)

Adding RSS Feeds to Bloglines - A short YouTube video that Helene Blowers with PLCMC created showing how to add feeds.

Tutorial: Adding an RSS feed to Bloglines - a short tutorial by UC Berkley librarians.

Additional Bloglines news feed subcription information (screenshot image)


Discovery Exercise (Option 1):

1. Follow the discovery resources above to learn more about RSS and newsreaders.

2. Create a free online Bloglines account for yourself and subscribe to at least 10 newsfeeds to your reader. Take the Using Bloglines Tutorial. Pay close attention to steps 1-3 in the tutorial. Here are some step by step instructions for setting up a Bloglines account:

1. Go to http://www.bloglines.com/ and set up a (free) account. You will need to input your e-mail address and access your e-mail to reply to the automated message in order to authenticate your account.
2. Log in to Bloglines with your new account.
3. Click the "Add" link on the upper left-hand side of Bloglines, under "My Feeds."
4. The right-hand side of Bloglines should say "Subscribe." Below that, you should see a box that says "Blog or Feed URL." Copy (from another browser window one of the URLs from Keeping Current: RSS Feeds) and paste it into the box for the URL.
5. Click the "Subscribe" button.
6. The following page displays settings for the feed. Click "Subscribe" once more.

Here are some possible RSS feeds for you to choose from:
The L2 Chronicles blog feed
VBPL Talks blog feed
RSS Feed available from Wavy TV
Hampton Roads news from WVEC
Unshelved blog feed
The Shifted Librarian blog feed

3. Create a post in your blog about this exercise. Optional: If you're up to the challenge, you can provide the URL address to your public bloglines account (find where to find this below)


Don’t know what to blog about? Think about these questions:
What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal life?
How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?

How to find your public Bloglines URL:

1. Click on the Share tab within your Bloglines account:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   




2. Scroll down the right screen pane and locate the public URL (see screenshot)




3. Be sure to add this as part of your post to demonstrate your completion of this activity.

Why have a public account? To share blog rolls with others, of course. That's how the L2 participants list is updated; it's powered through a public blogroll.

PS: Once you tackle this discovery exercise, you've tackled the most difficult one of the whole 30.






Discovery Exercise (Option 2):
1. Follow the discovery resources above to learn more about RSS and newsreaders.

2. Create a Google Reader account for yourself and subscribe to at least 10 newsfeeds using your reader.

Here are some possible RSS feeds for you to choose from:
The L2 Chronicles blog feed

VBPL Talks blog feed

RSS Feed availalbe from Wavy TV

Hampton Roads news from WVEC

Unshelved blog feed

The Shifted Librarian blog feed

3. Create a blog post about this exercise. Here are some questions to get you started:

• What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?


• How do you think that you might be able to use this technology in your work or your personal life?
  
• How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?

Discovery Exercise (Option 3):

1. Follow the discover resources above to learn more about RSS and newsreaders.

2. Complete both the Googe Reader tour and the Using the Bloglines Tutorial.

3. Create a blog post about your experience. Here are some things to think about while writing your post:

• What are the advantages of using an RSS reader?
• What are the disadvantages of using an RSS reader?
• What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
• How do you think that you might be able to use RSS in your work or your personal life?

In the next post, Thing 10, you'll learn how to search for fees that interest you!

Thing 8 - Register your blog with Learning 2.0 @ the Beach

Registering your blog and Recording Weekly Blog Posts in Tracking Log


IMPORTANT: By recording your first two blog entries for Thing 8, you are registering your blog with Learning 2.0 @ the Beach.

NOTE: You must use a library staff computer to do this activity.


Here's how you record your weekly blog posts:

Depending upon the Blogger template that you selected when you created your blog, the "permanent link" for each individual post can be found at:

• the post’s title


• through a link in the posts footer area the contains the date


• hover over the time in the link that says posted by
  

To record progress for an individual item in the Tracking Log:

1. Click on the perma link for the individual post for the Thing that you completed. A picture example of where you will find the permalink for this sample blog post is appove this step.


2. Select the "permanent link" url from the address bar at the top of your browser and right click.
   
3. Select Copy.


4. Open the Learning 2.0 tracking log and locate your number (ex: 59) then the item number (ex: Thing 1) that you've just completed. You can find the tracking log at W:\Inter Agency\Learning2.0. The Learning 2.0 tracking log file name is LIBARY 2.0-PUBLIC.xls.


5. Click in the cell box for the Thing that you are recording and select Paste. Make double sure that you are in your row. You have now pasted the permalink for that blog post into the tracking log.


6. Save the changes you made to the tracking log. Congrats! You have recorded your progress.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To keep up with recording your progress, you need to record your progress weekly. To be eligible to receive an MP3 player, you need to complete the 30 Things and record your weekly progress before the program ends on February 11, 2008.

Thing 7 - Create Your Own Blog and Add Your First Posts

Now, you have a better idea of what web 2.0 means. You're ready to get started using web 2.0 tools. You’ve done some exploring around this website and understand how this program works; it’s time to setup your very own personal blog. You will use this blog to record your thoughts, discoveries and exercises.


For this program, I recommend that you use Blogger*, a popular free online blog hosting service that is extremely easy to use. You may choose to use another blogging software tool. Before creating your blog, please read the IMPORTANT NOTE at the bottom of this post.

To create a blog using Blogger, it takes just three steps:

1. Create an account (view screenshot)


2. Name your blog (view screenshot)
   
3. Select your template. (view screenshot)

Once you’ve created your blog here are two important things to know:

To add posts:


The maintenance interface that you will use to add posts, edit or change the step-up your blog is accessed online at http://www.blogger.com/. Be sure to write down your login and password.




To view your blog:


Your blog address is http://(xxxx).blogspot.com, (xxxx)=the unique identifier you entered in Step 2. Be sure to also write down your blog address. If you run into problems or would like more information about blogs and using Blogger here are some discovery resources you can use:
Freevlog’s Quicktime Tutorial: Setup a Free Blogger Blog Note: Ignore the opening comments about downloading Firefox if your PC doesn’t have it. This will work in Explorer just fine.
Blogger’s Quick Tutorial OK -- Now, it’s your turn...



Discovery Exercise

1. Setup a blog for yourself through Blogger.


2. Add a post about the habits among the 7 and 1/2 lifelong learning habits that is easiest and hardest for you & why. You can cut and paste what you wrote for Thing 2.


3. Add a post about either Web 2.0 or Library 2.0. You can cut and paste what you wrote for Thing 5.


4. OPTIONAL - Visit RA Gourmet, the Reader's Advisory Action Team's blog at http://www.wpglib.blogspot.com/. Either add a comment to the blog or post a comment on your blog about the blog.

Have fun! Get set for Thing 8!


IMPORTANT NOTE: How you choose to identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under a screen name, anonymously, or as yourself. However, in order to qualify for the staff incentives and staff day prize drawings, you will need to register your blog with Learning 2.0 @ the Beach.

*Use of Blogger is only a recommendation. If there is another blog hosting site that you are more comfortable with, please feel free to use it.

Thing 6 - Find out about Blogging

So, what's a blog away?

Listen to a podcast on blogging




Hear me at WildVoice.com

A blog is a web site that is:
· organized chronologically by date (newest entries are usually at the top)
· Self-archived by date
· Updated regularly with short entries or posts
· Includes links, more links and still more links
· Uses a unique URL for each post
· Provides an RSS feed that syndicates the blog’s content

A blog features include:
· Dated entries
· Mission, goal statement, or About the blog area
· Categories for posts
· Permanent URLs for each post
· Comments on posts by readers
· Archives
· Lists of other blogs the author reads
· Navigational links
· Tags (or keywords) for each post assigned by the author (s)
· Contact information

These excerpts were taken from Library Technology Reports. Web 2.0 & Libraries. Chapter 2: Blogs. Pages 16 & 17 by Michael Stephens


As you explore the discovery resources below, please start thinking about this question: "How can a blog be useful for libraries?


Discovery Resources


Blogs - Wikipedia article

How and Why use blogs to promote your Library services - article by Darlene Fichter

What's a blog - YouTube Video



Discovery Exercise

1. Read or watch at least one Discovery resource in the list above.


2. Check out these lists of library blogs at the Blogging Libraries wiki. Choose one that looks interesting and explore it. Think about how you could use a blog in your work.


3. Visit the VBPL's LCDT blog, VBPL Talks. Explore this blog. It's a great way for you to communicate with Library leadership. OPTIONAL: Post a comment or ask a question. If you ask a question, please make sure that it follows establish guidelines.

Get ready! In the next post, you'll learn how to create your own personal blog in three easy steps. Then, you'll be blogging.

Thing 5 - Share your thoughts with a friend

Web 1.0 was a passive, surfing based environment. Web 2.0 is a user-driven, participatory and personalized environment where people create, edit, search, evaluate, organize and share information ---- with or without the involvement of libraries and librarians. There is general agreement in our profession that Library 2.0 is a response to Web 2.0.


There are many ideas that link Web 2.0 and Library 2.0; two core ideas are trust and open conversations. Start a conversation about either Web 2.0 or Library 2.0.

Before you get started, here's one thought on the differences between Library 1.0 and Library 2.0:



Library 1.0

Asking customers what they want and then responding with what we think are appropriate services and resources.

Library 2.0

Providing customers and staff with interactive communication tools (such as blogs or wikis) to continually shape library services and resource development collaboratively.




Discovery Resources

• Web 2.0 - Wikipedia article


• What is Web 2.0 - YouTube video


• What is Web 2.0 really - article by Tim O'Reilly


• Web 2.0: an intro in 5 minutes - YouTube video


• Librarian 2.0 Manifesto - YouTube Video


• Library 2.0 Service for the next generation - Library Journal Article


• Library 2.0 Theory: Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries by Jack Maness, Webology, 6/29/2006
  

Discovery Exercise

1. Read or watch at least two of the Discovery Resources listed above.


2. Remember those thoughts that you saved down for Thing 4? Use them to start a conversation with a friend, a co-worker or your supervisor.


3. Do you still feel the same? If you need to, rework your ideas and write them down AND save them for your Web 2.0 or Library 2.0 blog post in Thing 7.

Wow! You have two blog posts written before you even have a personal blog started. Get ready to share your thoughts with the world! Next week, you'll be blogging.

Thing 4 - Web 2.0 and Library 2.0

What happens when people, ideas and the Internet intersect? Web 2.0 happens.

The Internet is evolving. It’s morphed from a way to access information into a virtual space for discovering and exploring new relationships and new passions. Web 2.0 tools give everyone the opportunity to self-publish, to connect with other people, to organize their work and their lives and communicate with the world.

Library 2.0 is term used to describe a new set of concepts for developing and delivering library services. The name, as you may guess, is an extension of Web 2.0 and shares many of its same philosophies and concepts including harnessing the user in both design and implementation of services, embracing constant change as a development cycle over the traditional notion of upgrades, and reworking library services to meet the users in their space, as opposed to ours (libraries).

Many have argued that the notion of Library 2.0 is more than just a term used to describe concepts that merely revolve around the use of technology; it also a term that can be used to describe both physical and mindset changes that are occurring within libraries to make our spaces and services more user-centric and inviting.

Others within the profession have asserted that libraries have always been 2.0: collaborative, customer friendly and welcoming. But no matter which side of the debate proponents fall, both sides agree that libraries of tomorrow, even five or ten years from now, will look substantially different from libraries today.


Discovery Resources:


OCLC Next Space Newsletter – Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web it take libraries?

What put the 2 in Web 2.0? - Image from Adaptive Path, blog post 12/01/2005

What is Web 2.0 - Edge Perspectives with John Hagel, blog post 09/25/2005

What is Web 2.0 - Tim O'Reilly, O'Reilly, blog post 09/30/2005

Five Perspectives:

• Away from Icebergs


• Into a new world of librarianship
  
• To more powerful ways to cooperate


• To better bibliographic services


• To a temporary place in time

Wikipedia – Library 2.0

Library 2.0 Discussions (list of great references from Wikipedia)


Discovery Exercise:

1. Read two or three of the perspectives on Library 2.0 from the list above.
2. Read, watch or listen to at least 2 of the other discovery resources.
3. NOTE: Write your ideas down now AND Save these ideas! Why? In week three, you will create a personal blog. This will be your second blog post. So, write your thoughts down now and save them to use later on for your blog post. Write about your thoughts on Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you?