Week 10, Thing 24: 25 Things: A Conclusion

Well, I've completed my 25 Things exercises. This is the final post related to the Web 2.0 program. I've really enjoyed going through the 'things' and even though I was familiar with many of them, I learned a lot of new things.

Some of the highlights of this exercise were image generators, YouTube, Flickr, and podcasts and I use them in my professional and personal life. In the new year I will be updating the Our Ontario/Whitby Archives Flickr account and I am using Bloglines to stay current with the programs of other libraries and archives.

What I'm taking away from all the things I've learned is that it is important to stay on top of popular technological trends, especially when you work in a public institution like a library, museum, or archives. In order to remain relevant in a world that is constantly advancing and moving ahead, these institutions need to be able to provide services that make sense to patrons. We need to be able to reach out to patrons and offer them 'things' that are current and relate to their dynamic lifestyles. Otherwise, you'll wake up and realize you're still using a TYPEWRITER!

Thanks to everyone who helped to create and promote the Whitby Public Library 25 Things. It was well worth it!

Week 10, Thing 23: NetLibrary

I've never used NetLibrary before. I had a play around with it this morning and I think it's kinda neat. It was nice to see some classics on the list of available eAudiobooks, Little Women, Lord of the Flies, A Wrinkle in Time, to name a few. There's also a good collection of language books which I would like to try out sometime.

I've never been into audio books but I think if I could download them onto my iPod, as NetLibrary allows you to do, I'd try them out. Sometimes the book you're reading is just too big for your purse but with NetLibrary and eAudiobooks I could always have a book with me since my iPod can fit into any purse and even my pocket.

Week 10, Thing 22: Discovering New Podcasts

I only recently got into podcasts but I really like them. Before this exercise I really only downloaded CBC podcasts from iTunes. I especially like Vinyl Cafe, CBC Radio 3 podcasts, and the classic Quirks and Quarks. I didn't even know that there were other podcast directories.

But there ARE! I looked at two, Odeo and PodcastAlley. I liked PodcastAlley better because of the layout and I think it has a better search engine. I also liked the fact that, after searching for a term, it generated a list of relevant podcasts that you can click on and see brief description about the podcast.

I found some pretty neat library podcasts. My favourite being the Library Survival Guide produced by Woodruff Library at Emory University. It offers listeners tips and shortcuts for library research. The 4 December edition was about the top ten most fun/unusual things to do in a library.

Then I searched for history related podcasts and found one that I subscribed to. It's called History Podcast (creative, I know) and recent podcats have been about everything from Vikings to the history of the internet. I'm looking forward to the one about Henry VIII and his crazy wives (or was he the crazy one?).

Anyway, another good task in the 25 Things exercise. Podcasts are just another way to get the word out about any subject at all. I like the way libraries and museums are making use of this technology.

Week 10, Thing 21: YouTube

First of all, I can't believe it's already week ten. Insanity.

YouTube offers viewers a lot of funny, silly, and entertaining videos. Sometimes, if I have a song in my head I look it up on YouTube and listen to it that way instead of downloading the song from iTunes. YouTube also served as the birthplace of the phenomena that are viral videos, short, usually funny videos that become extremely popular. Here's an example of one.

But YouTube hosts many tutorials and informational videos too. Many of them are clear and straight forward but others are done in tongue-and-cheek. I found this one on the Dewey Decimal System:



and this one on the importance of digital preservation:



I think YouTube is a good way for libraries, museums, and archives to advertise their collections to a wider audience. Many of these institutions already have channels on YouTube devoted to highlighting certain items from their collections. YouTube and other photo sharing websites are really great resources.

Week 9, Thing 20: WPL Fun with 2.0 Wiki

I enjoyed looking at the Whitby Public Library fun wiki hosted by PB Wiki. I made some posts to the favourite vacation spots section and the favourite restaurants section. It was fun to see where my coworkers like to eat and vacation and I saw that many of us share a love for Quebec City.

I've also used wikis to collaborate with colleagues during my MA at Western. We were creating a curriculum-based, interactive educational tool for Museum London that focussed on local history, specifically the Rebellion of 1837 in and around London. We used the wiki during the research and design stages so that each member of the group could keep up to date with new information, resources, and the direction of the project. I found it very helpful.

Week 9, Thing 19: Wikis and Libraries

Disclaimer: I love wikis. I would use them all the time if I could. I understand and am aware of their drawbacks and inerhant problems as far as being a credible and/or academic source, but I love them anyway. In just seconds you can learn about anything from how to care for a house plant to a brief or complete history of the French Revolution. Taken with a grain of salt, wikis can be a great learning tool.

They are also great for libraries. I like the idea of a library posting a book review and patrons being able to make their own comments. Part of the idea of a folksonomy (which I discussed in a previous post), wikis can provide library patrons with both a professional and a more common review of a new book. I also like the idea of a library using a wiki to promote their local history collections. A wiki offers a great outlet for the discussion of history and certain photographs or newspaper articles or events could be posted to the wiki for patrons to read and/or comment on.

Wikis are a great way for people to become more involved with their library, history, and their reading experiences.

Week 7, Thing 17: Library 2.0

I really like how libraries have gotten on board with Web 2.0. Libraries are one public institution that can really benefit from all that Web 2.0 has to offer. They are being really vocal about the importance of and need for collaborative, intuitive, and fun web services.

One of the main facets of Library 2.0 is the idea that libraries should offer services to users in their preferred workspaces - libraries need to go to their users. The Whitby Public Library, for example, does this by maintaining Facebook and Twitter accounts. They also have an extremely user-friendly website.

Wendy Schultz says in her brief article about the infinite futures of libraries, that people have to be at the centre of any library's concerns. The transient and dynamic nature of Library and Web 2.0 means that libraries have to be ready to adapt but it is important to remember that users come first and this might mean adopting strange (at first) and different techniques to serve the public.

Week 7, Thing 16: Technocrati Reconsidered and Tagging Part II

Well, I'm taking back most of what I said about Technocrati in a previous post. This week's task was to take a closer look at the blog directory site. I hadn't noticed the Tag Index in my last visit to the website and I enjoyed having a look at some of the post popular tags used on the website in the last month (I even found that my favourite soccer team was top tag - Arsenal!!).

The Tag Index is a neat way to get an overview of some of the more popular subjects of the time.  For example, under the letter C I saw that Copenhagen and China are the top two tags. Copenhagen because of the upcoming UN Climate Conference in that city; and China because, well, probably because Obama and Harper have visited the country in the last couple of weeks. The top three tags under the letter F are Facebook, Fort Hood, and, big surprise here, flu.

The Technocrati Tag Index is a great way to monitor popular social and political trends. In 1000 years tags might be important factors for historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and other researchers to understand today's social climates. By quickly glancing at an alphabatized list of commonly used words, we get insight into what is going on in ths blogosphere and the popular conscience.

Week 7: Thing 15: Tagging is Delicious!

 What I like most about Delicious is the idea of a folksonomy vs. a taxonomy. Taxonomies are official, rigid, and not very user-friendly. Unlike taxonomies, folksonomies are designed to be broad or specialized, they are always changing or being added to, and they are created from the bottom up. I think it's neat to see how people tag the same photograph or website with different words. Everyone interprets something differently. Delicious and tagging, to me, are at the core of Web 2.0. I even added some tags to my blog today!

Week 6, Thing 14: Movie Poster!

Thing 14 was the best yet! Image generators can be a lot of fun, you're limited only by your imagination. I went to Big Huge Labs where the tagline is 'Helping you do cool stuff with your digital photos since 2005'. You can create vintage photos, magazine covers, jigsaws, movie posters, and more with your own photos. I used a photograph from the Whitby Online Historic Photographs Collection to make a funny movie poster! In a way this is kind of like public history. Cultural institutions could use image generators to make historic photos more relevant and even a little funny.

Week 6, Thing 12: It's a Library Thing

Like many people I know, I have a large queue of books that I want to read, buy, and/or borrow (working at a library doesn't help...). And also like many people, I have about a dozen places where I've written down the names of titles or authors of said books and I keep losing them!

I started using the virtual bookshelf application on Facebook because I could keep track of all the books I've read and want to read. It also suggests other books I might be interested in based on the books in my collection. I have also tried Library Thing, a similar site for organizing and cataloging your book collection. I don't think Library Thing is as intuitive as the Facebook application - once I added a book from a series (Harry Potter) to my collection, I had to go back to the search page and search again rather than it automatically generating other books in the series or by the author, for example.

Like the Facebook app, Library Thing produces a list of other books you might be interested in based on your collection. It also shows a list of other users who have similar libraries to you. That's how I found the glorious blog that is AustenBlog (which I have added to my Bloglines account)! I probably won't use Library Thing in the future but I am thankful for the fact that I now know where to go for all my Jane Austen related news!

Week 6, Thing 12: Twitter Mania Right Now

I've had a Twitter account for about a year now. At first, I found that I rarely checked it because not many of my friends had accounts. Now, however, I log in almost every day read the comments posted by the people I follow.

For me, Twitter is kind of a guilty pleasure. I mostly follow famous people like Lauren Conrad (and all her reality TV buddies!!), Shaq, the Fug Girls, and Jimmy Fallon. Of course, my list of followers also consists of the requisite professional and academic Tweeters like CBC, professors, colleagues, The Canoe Dossier, the Whitby Public Library etc., but I think that Twitter is meant to be fun and it offers a quirky view at the lives of the rich and famous. I like reading their short, often funny quips and sometimes they post backstage photos from whatever event or show on which they're appearing.

Overall, I think Twitter is a great tool that offers users a website that combines social networking, celebrity gossip, and current affairs. Here's the link to my page. 

Week 5, Thing 11: Finding Feeds a Disappointment

So I've had a play around with some of the search tools for finding news feeds/blogs and I haven't really been all that impressed. I found sites like Technocrati, Syndic8.com, and Topix.net a little cumbersome and not very user friendly. Typically, they seemed geared toward political affairs and current events. I tried searching by subjects I'm interested in (archives, heritage, history) and ended up with disappointing results.

In the end, I think I prefer trolling the web to find sites or blogs that I'm interested in. If I like them enough I'll add them to my Bloglines account or choose to follow them via RSS. It seems unlikely that I'd come across something that doesn't have an RSS icon!

Week 5, Thing 10: RSS and Newsfeeds

This week we've been asked to explore the world that is Real Simple Syndication! It's also really handy. I created a Bloglines account so that I could easily keep track of all the different websites and blogs that I follow. Now, instead of checking each site individually, I log into Bloglines and all the updates are in one place.

I didn't add any library related sites to my account (I'm not a librarian!) but I did add the Canadian Heritage Information Network and a really interesting history blog called Cafe Historia, both are great resources for a budding Public Historian!

I can see, though, how libraries might use RSS and Newsfeeds to keep up to date with other libraries around the world. Web 2.0 has really hit the library world and having all the different blogs and websites in one place is very efficient!

Week 3, Thing 8: You can view them online!

Access is currently a buzz word in the museum, library, and archives world. The feeling that records should be available online is one that has encouraged many institutions to undertake massive digitization projects to create electronic copies of archival documents, photographs, and other items so that they may be added to the internet for all the world to see (or at least anyone who is interested).

The Whitby Public Library and Archives is one of those institutions and they are in the process of making their photograph collection available online. On a daily basis, photographs are scanned and uploaded to a host website called Our Ontario. Having the photographs online means that more people have access to them and can view them from the comfort of their homes. The website also contains some Web 2.0 features like the ability to comment on the photographs and even to send images as electronic postcards to friends!

Week 3, Thing 7: Flickr Mashups and Open Source

One of the many great features of Flickr is the fact that it was designed as open source software. A software program that is considered open source means that its code is accessible to developers so that they may use it to design and create other online programs and software.

Flickr is a wonderful example of open source software and so many people have used its code to create third party sites and tools. I found a neat one called PicMarkr which allows you to upload your photos directly from Flickr (or another photo hosting site) and apply a watermark to your photographs. PicMarkr markets itself as a tool that allows you to feel safe about putting your photos online because the watermark serves as a way to protect your ownership of your images.

I used it to add a watermark to one of the photographs I took this summer at a cottage near Haliburton. It was a beautiful day!

Week 3, Thing 6: Flickr, Photos, and Fun!

As is mentioned in my profile, I recently returned from New Zealand after spending about 8 months there. While I was in the Land of Eternal Spring, I created a Flickr account so that I could share my photos with friends and family back home. I found that Flickr was extremely user-friendly and the easiest way to keep loved ones up to date with my activities. It was nice for them to get a feel for where I was living.

I also joined the Flickr group for the region of New Zealand in which I lived, Taranaki. I found this photo of the region's namesake, pride, and protector, Mount Taranaki, in the Taranaki group. I have many photos like this one but I thought Bruce McKinlay's version is quite stunning with the green grass, aqua-blue sky, and snow capped mountain top.

Another good thing about Flickr groups is that photos are added to them on a daily basis which means I can log in to see recent images of my old home!

Week 2, Thing 5: Web Two Point What?

The Whitby Public Library will be launching its new Web 2.0 website shortly. As part of the Web 2.0 initiative, staff members have volunteered to participate in the '25 Things' campaign. 25 Things is a series of activities that, upon completion, will increase awareness of and familiarize library staff with the facets of Web 2.0. , which includes the ideas of information sharing and user-centred design. The activities and exercises include things like creatinga blog (!) and a Twitter account, familiarizing yourself with RSS, newsfeeders, and photo sharing websites like Flickr and del.icio.us, and embracing terms like tagging and mash-ups.

I know I've been away from my blog for a while...but it's good to be blogging again!

Celebrating Paritutu

Since being in New Zealand I have had a few opportunities to put into practise some of the theories I learned at school last year. As a newly graduated public historian, I am very aware of instances where the introduction of some kind of public history could greatly benefit an institution or natural setting.

I am thinking particularly of Paritutu rock in New Plymouth. Paritutu is what remains of the rim of an ancient volcano. It is 153m tall and its steep surface can be climbed in about 30 minutes (there and back). At the summit, climbers can experience vast and breathtaking views of New Plymouth and Mount Taranaki, and the Taranaki Region.

Paritutu and the land surrounding it was once occupied by Maori who used it as a source for food, water and shelter. Other similar mounds of rock in the same area, called the Sugar Loaf Islands, were used in a similar manner and as a result, villages formed around Paritutu and the Islands.

Paritutu was discovered by Europeans in 1770 and just over 100 years later, the leading men of New Plymouth proposed to blow up Paritutu and use its rock for a breakwater at the port. The breakwater would encourage trade in New Plymouth as ships could easily sail into and dock at the harbour. Despite protests, workers went ahead with plans to make quick use of the ancient landmark. Only a small amount of stone was quarried from Paritutu as the explosion was largely unsuccessful. It was decided that Paritutu would not provide the necessary amount of stone needed for the project and the breakwater was made with the rock of one of the Sugar Loaf Islands.

Paritutu remains today, only slightly marred by the human interference of the 1870s. An even bigger travesty, however, is that Paritutu's story, an important part of New Plymouth and Taranaki history, remains relatively unknown. Neither the summit nor the base showcase any sort of information regarding Paritutu and its surrounding Sugar Loaf Islands. New Plymouth's museum, Puke Ariki, has a brief history online as part of its Taranaki Stories initiative but considering Paritutu stands so proud and tall at the city's port, it deserves a little more public history.