This is only going to be a short post as I've tried LinkedIn before and I'm not a fan. Although in the name of 23 things I'm giving it another go and have updated my profile and started adding people to my network.
I see why it's a good thing to have a social network that is purely professional, especially when you read those horror stories on the news about interviewers finding prospective employees on Facebook then not giving them the job based on what they've found!
I find that LinkedIn is not very intuitive, and quite difficult to use. Maybe the more I use it, the easier it'll get. However I remain sceptical.
Monday, 15 March 2010
Friday, 12 March 2010
Thing 13 - Facebook and Libraries
I've been a member of Facebook for a few years now and use it as a way of keeping in touch those people that I don't see regularly and that live long distances from me. Also, I'll have to admit that I do like seeing what other people are up to! Obviously there are things about Facebook that I don't like such as those stupid applications like Cafe World & Farmville and the increasing "oops, sorry something has gone wrong" messages.
In terms of using Facebook in a library context, there are definitely some benefits.
It offers an alternative method of communicating with the library's users as well as giving them an alternative point of entry into the library's information and resources. It can be used as a promotional tool for the library's events, training and services and can provide readers with instant news updates. A Facebook presence can also raise the library's profile in the public domain and encourages interaction between the library and readers in the form of feedback. Therefore it has the ability to act as an excellent marketing tool. Another feature which is particularly beneficial to libraries is the library-specific applications which can be used to personalise your page. You can include feeds from Delicious of your useful links, you can search SOLO, Copac, Worldcat and Jstor and I've discovered that there is an application which displays your guides created by the new LibGuides software which the Bodleian Libraries has just purchased.
There are inevitably some downsides to using Facebook in libraries. It is a social networking service and it is important to maintain a professional image. There are continued concerns over privacy and security issues, as there are with any social networking service. There is often a low uptake, which may be because users do not want libraries encroaching into their social space.
Overall, I would say that Facebook offers another medium for libraries to interact with their users and stay current in the online environment.
In terms of using Facebook in a library context, there are definitely some benefits.
It offers an alternative method of communicating with the library's users as well as giving them an alternative point of entry into the library's information and resources. It can be used as a promotional tool for the library's events, training and services and can provide readers with instant news updates. A Facebook presence can also raise the library's profile in the public domain and encourages interaction between the library and readers in the form of feedback. Therefore it has the ability to act as an excellent marketing tool. Another feature which is particularly beneficial to libraries is the library-specific applications which can be used to personalise your page. You can include feeds from Delicious of your useful links, you can search SOLO, Copac, Worldcat and Jstor and I've discovered that there is an application which displays your guides created by the new LibGuides software which the Bodleian Libraries has just purchased.
There are inevitably some downsides to using Facebook in libraries. It is a social networking service and it is important to maintain a professional image. There are continued concerns over privacy and security issues, as there are with any social networking service. There is often a low uptake, which may be because users do not want libraries encroaching into their social space.
Overall, I would say that Facebook offers another medium for libraries to interact with their users and stay current in the online environment.
Friday, 5 March 2010
Thing 12- YouTube
So thing 12...YouTube...the principle place on the internet to watch and share videos.
It's predominantly made up of user-generated content from individuals but increasingly organisations have been adding content to the site.
I wouldn't say that I was a regular user of YouTube, but I occasionally dip in and out. It's usually when someone has recommended something to watch or I've missed some sort of event in the news and the clips are on the site. I don't really have the patience to trawl through the thousands of videos just for the sake of it, I'd rather have something specific to look for.
I like the idea that libraries and universities are using the site as a marketing tool. The Said Business School where I work has a strong presence on YouTube Edu, offering interviews with alumni, videos about events and aspects of the courses as well as studying at the university in general.
I don't know how large the uptake for library based educational videos are but it's great to offer an alternative format of information to students, especially to those who learn visually.
Just to finish off, I've included a video of a really cute baby panda!! Enjoy!
It's predominantly made up of user-generated content from individuals but increasingly organisations have been adding content to the site.
I wouldn't say that I was a regular user of YouTube, but I occasionally dip in and out. It's usually when someone has recommended something to watch or I've missed some sort of event in the news and the clips are on the site. I don't really have the patience to trawl through the thousands of videos just for the sake of it, I'd rather have something specific to look for.
I like the idea that libraries and universities are using the site as a marketing tool. The Said Business School where I work has a strong presence on YouTube Edu, offering interviews with alumni, videos about events and aspects of the courses as well as studying at the university in general.
I don't know how large the uptake for library based educational videos are but it's great to offer an alternative format of information to students, especially to those who learn visually.
Just to finish off, I've included a video of a really cute baby panda!! Enjoy!
Thing 11 - Podcasts
I've dabbled in podcasts before but they've never really held my attention so for the sake of 23 things, I've had another go.
There is a vast ocean of podcasts out there covering every subject imaginable. There really is something for everyone. I can definitely see the plus points of them.
I decided to subscribe to some of the BBC 6 music podcasts. The site was very easy to use and clearly linked to Google Reader so I didn't have to faff around finding out how to subscribe. As much as I enjoyed testing out the podcasts, I don't think it'll be something that I continue with! I already have enough to follow what with my google reader feeds and uni work, I think I'd struggle to keep up and end up with a massive backlog and ultimately I'd rather listen to music!
In terms of the use of podcasting in a library context, it's definitely a useful tool. It can be used for library tours, especially useful when readers have missed their induction or when people are joining throughout the year. I also like the Bodleian's podcasts as it's an excellent way of marketing the libraries and their collections and getting them out there in the public domain. This is something that should be expanded on.
There is a vast ocean of podcasts out there covering every subject imaginable. There really is something for everyone. I can definitely see the plus points of them.
I decided to subscribe to some of the BBC 6 music podcasts. The site was very easy to use and clearly linked to Google Reader so I didn't have to faff around finding out how to subscribe. As much as I enjoyed testing out the podcasts, I don't think it'll be something that I continue with! I already have enough to follow what with my google reader feeds and uni work, I think I'd struggle to keep up and end up with a massive backlog and ultimately I'd rather listen to music!
In terms of the use of podcasting in a library context, it's definitely a useful tool. It can be used for library tours, especially useful when readers have missed their induction or when people are joining throughout the year. I also like the Bodleian's podcasts as it's an excellent way of marketing the libraries and their collections and getting them out there in the public domain. This is something that should be expanded on.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Things 9 & 10 - Social Bookmarking & Tagging
I have been a member of Delicious, the social bookmarking service recommended in the 23 things programme, for about a year now but admittedly my use of it has been rather sporadic!!
Delicious is a really useful tool, especially when you flit between numerous computers which I do. It makes much more sense to have your bookmarks saved in a centralised service which can be accessed from anywhere as opposed to tied to favourites on one particular PC. The one thing that really annoys me though is that when you click on a link, it navigates away from delicious. It would be much better if the link opened in a new tab!
I like the element of serendipitous resource discovery that comes with tagging! It allows you to find similar links to yours based on other people's tags. The downside of this is that there is no standardised terms and is very much based on individual opinion. There is a large margin of error for misspellings.
The network element of Delicious is useful as it means you don't have to search for a user each time you want to view their bookmarks. I added the Sainsbury Library to my network. Being able to switch between my own bookmarks and the library's makes it easy to access this links whilst at work! I think social bookmarking and tagging is one of the most useful Web 2.0 tools for library as it eliminates the need for messy useful links pages which are often difficult to navigate and update.
Delicious is a really useful tool, especially when you flit between numerous computers which I do. It makes much more sense to have your bookmarks saved in a centralised service which can be accessed from anywhere as opposed to tied to favourites on one particular PC. The one thing that really annoys me though is that when you click on a link, it navigates away from delicious. It would be much better if the link opened in a new tab!
I like the element of serendipitous resource discovery that comes with tagging! It allows you to find similar links to yours based on other people's tags. The downside of this is that there is no standardised terms and is very much based on individual opinion. There is a large margin of error for misspellings.
The network element of Delicious is useful as it means you don't have to search for a user each time you want to view their bookmarks. I added the Sainsbury Library to my network. Being able to switch between my own bookmarks and the library's makes it easy to access this links whilst at work! I think social bookmarking and tagging is one of the most useful Web 2.0 tools for library as it eliminates the need for messy useful links pages which are often difficult to navigate and update.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Things 7 & 8 - Flickr & Picnik
I've been starting to get pretty behind on my things, so here's an attempt to catch up a bit!!
This week I've been experimenting with photos on Flickr & Picnik. Both seem fairly straightforward to use. Flickr is good for those budding photographers who want to get their images out in the public domain but personally I'm not too keen, it's not really the service for me. Photos I take are more about events and holidays as opposed to photography just for the sake of it. When I want to share my photos, I'm more likely to do it over facebook as the people I'd want to show them to are all on there, none of them are Flickr users. The other thing that I don't like is that I had to create a yahoo ID, yet another username and password!!
Picnik is very user friendly and offers some good free features for photo editing! I had a play around with the images that I'd uploaded to Flickr. As you can see, this is my family dog, Alfie, looking very regal in a crown!
This week I've been experimenting with photos on Flickr & Picnik. Both seem fairly straightforward to use. Flickr is good for those budding photographers who want to get their images out in the public domain but personally I'm not too keen, it's not really the service for me. Photos I take are more about events and holidays as opposed to photography just for the sake of it. When I want to share my photos, I'm more likely to do it over facebook as the people I'd want to show them to are all on there, none of them are Flickr users. The other thing that I don't like is that I had to create a yahoo ID, yet another username and password!!
Picnik is very user friendly and offers some good free features for photo editing! I had a play around with the images that I'd uploaded to Flickr. As you can see, this is my family dog, Alfie, looking very regal in a crown!
I'd definitely use Picnik again, it's a effective way to edit your photos to give them that professional look. As for Flickr, I'll probably use it browse other people's images but I'm unlikely to upload more of my own.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Things 5 & 6 - Google Reader
One of this week's things was to set up a Google Reader account. I have been using Google Reader for a while now, as it's a good way to keep up to date with new blog plots and online content without having to visit each site individually.
I often find that if I don't keep on top on my reading, there is a mountain of posts to wade through! For this reason, I've weeded out some of the feeds which were making my account unmanageable such as the Guardian Life & Style feed.
My main set of subscriptions are to library blogs, these are really useful for library school and being aware of what's going on in the librarian blogosphere. As Thing 6 suggests, I've added a couple of new feeds, such as India Knight's blog where she shares links and images of cool things she likes! I'm definitely going to try and keep on top of my subscriptions,especially now I've had a good clear up!
I often find that if I don't keep on top on my reading, there is a mountain of posts to wade through! For this reason, I've weeded out some of the feeds which were making my account unmanageable such as the Guardian Life & Style feed.
My main set of subscriptions are to library blogs, these are really useful for library school and being aware of what's going on in the librarian blogosphere. As Thing 6 suggests, I've added a couple of new feeds, such as India Knight's blog where she shares links and images of cool things she likes! I'm definitely going to try and keep on top of my subscriptions,especially now I've had a good clear up!
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