1. According to MN statutes, what is the definition of a public library?
Public libraries are authorized under chapter 134 of MN statutes.
"Public library" means any library that provides free access to all residents of a city or county without discrimination, receives at least half of its financial support from public funds and is organized under the provisions of this chapter. Except as provided in section 134.195, it does not include libraries such as law, medical, school and academic libraries organized to serve a special group of persons, or libraries organized as a combination of a public library and another type of library.
2. List five basic services offered by all regional public library systems.
"Basic system services" means services offered by all regional public library systems either directly or by contract. These services shall include, but are not limited to,
1. communication among participants,
2. resource sharing,
3. delivery of materials,
4. reciprocal borrowing, and
5. cooperative reference service.
3. How many people may be on a library board established by a city or county?
When public library service is established, except in any city of the first class operating under a home rule charter, the mayor of the city with the approval of the council for a city library or the board of commissioners for a county library, shall appoint a board of five, seven or nine members from among the residents of the city or county.
4. Could an individual who lives outside your city be appointed to your city library board?
Members can be residents of the city or county.
5. How long may an individual serve on a library board?
Three years.
Note: A library board member shall not be eligible to serve more than three consecutive three-year terms.
6. What must be included in a library's annual report to it's governing body?
As soon as practicable following the end of the fiscal year the library board shall report to the governing body of the city or county
- all amounts received during the preceding year and the sources thereof,
- the amounts expended and for what purposes,
- the number of library materials on hand,
- the number purchased and loaned, and
- such other information as it deems advisable.
Subsequently, the library board shall file this information with the Department of Education on forms supplied by the department.
7. What criteria must be met by a joint school/public library?
- Public library services shall be available for simultaneous use by students and residents of the area.
- If public library services are located in an elementary or secondary school building, a separate entrance, accessible from the outside of the school building, shall be provided for use by the residents.
- The library shall meet all requirements in statutes and rules applicable to public libraries and school media centers. A media supervisor licensed by the Board of Teaching may be the director of the library.
- The library shall be centrally located in the community and available for use by residents during all hours the school is in session, at least 15 additional hours each week during evenings, and on Saturdays. When school is not in session, the library may reduce its hours to maintain at least the average number of hours each week of other public libraries serving its population size.
- The library shall have telephone service that is separate from the telephone service for the school.
- Public parking, restrooms, drinking water, and other necessities shall be easily accessible to residents.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
First Ammendment
The Right to Read Freely
Evans v. Selma Union High School District of Fresno County, 222 P. 801 (Ca. 1924)
The California State Supreme Court held that the King James version of the Bible was not a "publication of a sectarian, partisan, or denominational character" that a State statute required a public high school library to exclude from its collections. The "fact that the King James version is commonly used by Protestant Churches and not by Catholics" does not "make its character sectarian," the court stated. "The mere act of purchasing a book to be added to the school library does not carry with it any implication of the adoption of the theory or dogma contained therein, or any approval of the book itself, except as a work of literature fit to be included in a reference library."
Rosenberg v. Board of Education of City of New York, 92 N.Y.S.2d 344 (Sup. Ct. Kings County 1949)
After considering the charge that Oliver Twist and the Merchant of Venice are "objectionable because they tend to engender hatred of the Jew as a person and as a race," the Supreme Court, Kings County, New York, decided that these two works cannot be banned from the New York City schools, libraries, or classrooms, declaring that the Board of Education "acted in good faith without malice or prejudice and in the best interests of the school system entrusted to their care and control, and, therefore, that no substantial reason exists which compels the suppression of the two books under consideration."
Todd v. Rochester Community Schools, 200 N.W.2d 90 (Mich. Ct. App. 1972)
In deciding that Slaughterhouse-Five could not be banned from the libraries and classrooms of the Michigan schools, the Court of Appeals of Michigan declared: "Vonnegut's literary dwellings on war, religion, death, Christ, God, government, politics, and any other subject should be as welcome in the public schools of this state as those of Machiavelli, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Melville, Lenin, Joseph McCarthy, or Walt Disney. The students of Michigan are free to make of Slaughterhouse-Five what they will."
Minarcini v. Strongsville (Ohio) City School District, 541 F.2d 577 (6th Cir. 1976)
The Strongsville City Board of Education rejected faculty recommendations to purchase Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and ordered the removal of Catch-22 and Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle from the library. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled against the School Board, upholding the students' First Amendment right to receive information and the librarian's right to disseminate it. "The removal of books from a school library is a much more serious burden upon the freedom of classroom discussion than the action found unconstitutional in Tinker v. Des Moines School District."
Right to Read Defense Committee v. School Committee of the City of Chelsea, 454 F. Supp. 703 (D. Mass. 1978)
The Chelsea, Mass. School Committee decided to bar from the high school library a poetry anthology, Male and Female under 18, because of the inclusion of an "offensive" and "damaging" poem, "The City to a Young Girl," written by a fifteen-year-old girl. Challenged in U.S. District Court, Joseph L. Tauro ruled: "The library is 'a mighty resource in the marketplace of ideas.' There a student can literally explore the unknown, and discover areas of interest and thought not covered by the prescribed curriculum. The student who discovers the magic of the library is on the way to a life-long experience of self-education and enrichment. That student learns that a library is a place to test or expand upon ideas presented to him, in or out of the classroom. The most effective antidote to the poison of mindless orthodoxy is ready access to a broad sweep of ideas and philosophies. There is no danger from such exposure. The danger is mind control. The committee's ban of the anthology Male and Female is enjoined."
Salvail v. Nashua Board of Education, 469 F. Supp. 1269 (D. N.H. 1979)
MS magazine was removed from a New Hampshire high school library by order of the Nashua School Board. The U.S. District Court decided for the student, teacher, and adult residents who had brought action against the school board, the court concluding: "The court finds and rules that the defendants herein have failed to demonstrate a substantial and legitimate government interest sufficient to warrant the removal of MS magazine from the Nashua High School library. Their action contravenes the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights, and as such it is plainly wrong."
Loewen v. Turnipseed, 488 F. Supp. 1138 (N.D. Miss. 1980)
When the Mississippi Textbook Purchasing Board refused to approve Mississippi: Conflict and Change for use in Mississippi public schools, on the grounds that it was too concerned with racial matters and too controversial, the authors filed suit. U.S. District Judge Orma R. Smith ruled that the criteria used were not justifiable grounds for rejecting the book. He held that the controversial racial matter was a factor leading to its rejection, and thus the authors had been denied their constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of speech and the press.
Kreimer v. Bureau of Police for Morristown, 958 F.2d 1242 (3d Cir. 1992)
In detailed analysis, the court of appeals held that a municipal public library was a limited public forum, meaning open to the public for the specified purposes of exercising their First Amendment rights to read and receive information from library materials. Such exercise could not interfere with or disrupt the library's reasonable rules of operation. The court then upheld three library rules which: 1) required patrons to read, study, or otherwise use library materials while there; 2) prohibited noisy or boisterous activities which might disturb other patrons; and 3) permitted the removal of any patron whose offensive bodily hygiene was a nuisance to other patrons.
Case v. Unified School District No. 233, 908 F. Supp. 864 (D. Kan. 1995)
When the Olathe, Kansas, School Board voted to remove the book Annie on My Mind, a novel depicting a lesbian relationship between two teenagers, from the district's junior and senior high school libraries, the federal district court in Kansas found they violated the students' rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the corresponding provisions of the Kansas State Constitution. Despite the fact that the school board testified that they had removed the book because of "educational unsuitability," which is within their rights under the Pico decision, it became obvious from their testimony that the book was removed because they disapproved of the book's ideology. In addition, it was found that the school board had violated their own materials selection and reconsideration policies, which weighed heavily in the judge's decision.
Campbell v. St. Tammany Parish School Board, 64 F.3d 184 (5th Cir. 1995)
Public school district removed the book Voodoo and Hoodoo, a discussion of the origins, history, and practices of the voodoo and hoodoo religions that included an outline of some specific practices, from all district library shelves. Parents of several students sued and the district court granted summary judgment in their favor. The court of appeals reversed, finding that there was not enough evidence at that stage to determine that board members had an unconstitutional motivation, such as denying students access to ideas with which board members disagreed; the court remanded the case for a full trial at which all board members could be questioned about their reasons for removing the book. The court observed that "in light of the special role of the school library as a place where students may freely and voluntarily explore diverse topics, the school board's non-curricular decision to remove a book well after it had been placed in the public school libraries evokes the question whether that action might not be an attempt to 'strangle the free mind at its source.'" The court focused on some evidence that school board members had removed the book without having read it or having read only excerpts provided by the Christian Coalition. The parties settled the case before trial by returning the book to the libraries on specially designated reserve shelves.
Sund v. City of Wichita Falls, Texas, 121 F. Supp. 2d 530 (N.D. Texas, 2000)
City residents who were members of a church sought removal of two books, Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate, because they disapproved of the books' depiction of homosexuality. The City of Wichita Falls City Council voted to restrict access to the books if 300 persons signed a petition asking for the restriction. A separate group of citizens filed suit after the books were removed from the children's section and placed on a locked shelf in the adult area of the library. Following a trial on the merits, the District Court permanently enjoined the city from enforcing the resolution permitting the removal of the two books. It held that the City's resolution constituted impermissible content-based and viewpoint based discrimination; was not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest; provided no standards or review process; and improperly delegated governmental authority over the selection and removal of the library's books to any 300 private citizens who wish to remove a book from the children's area of the Library.
Counts v. Cedarville School District, 295 F.Supp.2d 996 (W.D. Ark. 2003)
The school board of the Cedarville, Arkansas school district voted to restrict students' access to the Harry Potter books, on the grounds that the books promoted disobediance and disrespect for authority and dealt with witchcraft and the occult. As a result of the vote, students in the Cedarville school district were required to obtain a signed permission slip from their parents or guardians before they would be allowed to borrow any of the Harry Potter books from school libraries. The District Court overturned the Board's decision and ordered the books returned to unrestricted circulation, on the grounds that the restrictions violated students' First Amendment right to read and receive information. In so doing, the Court noted that while the Board necessarily performed highly discretionary functions related to the operation of the schools, it was still bound by the Bill of Rights and could not abridge students' First Amendment right to read a book on the basis of an undifferentiated fear of disturbance or because the Board disagreed with the ideas contained in the book.
See also: Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853, 102 S.Ct. 2799, 73 L.Ed.2d 435 (1982)
Smith v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile (Ala.) County, 827 F.2d 684 (11th Cir. 1987)
Mozert v. Hawkins County Board of Education, 827 F.2d 1058 (6th Cir. 1987)
Virgil v. School Board of Columbia County, 862 F.2d 1517 (11th Cir. 1989)
American Library Association v. U.S. Department of Justice and Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union, 521 U.S. 844, 117 S.Ct. 2329, 138 L.Ed.2d. 874 (1997)
Mainstream Loudoun, et al. v. Board of Trustees of the Loudoun County Library, 24 F.Supp.2d 552 (E.D. of Va. 1998)
Research on First Ammendment & ALA Core Values
“The Constitution exists precisely so that opinions and judgments, including esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature, can be formed, tested, and expressed. What the Constitution says is that these judgments are for the individual to make, not for the Government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of a majority. Technology expands the capacity to choose; and it denies the potential of this revolution if we assume the Government is best positioned to make these choices for us.”—Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, United States et al. v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.
“The Whitney case is most noted for Justice Louis D. Brandeis’s concurrence, which many scholars have lauded as perhaps the greatest defense of freedom of speech ever written by a member of the high court.”--Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy. Below--all quotes from Justice Brandeis--are a few reasons why.
Those who won our independence believed that the final end of the State was to make men free to develop their faculties; and that in its government the deliberative forces should prevail over the arbitrary. They valued liberty both as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. They believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth; that without free speech and assembly discussion would be futile; that with them, discussion affords ordinarily adequate protection against the dissemination of noxious doctrine; that the greatest menace to freedom is an inert people; that public discussion is a political duty; and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government.
Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears.
Those who won our independence by revolution were not cowards. They did not fear political change. They did not exalt order at the cost of liberty. To courageous, self-reliant men, with confidence in the power of free and fearless reasoning applied through the processes of popular government, no danger flowing from speech can be deemed clear and present, unless the incidence of the evil apprehended is so imminent that it may befall before there is opportunity for full discussion. If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.
ALA Core Values - Service
Code of Ethics of the American Library Association
As members of the American Library Association, we recognize the importance of codifying and making known to the profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing information services, library trustees and library staffs.
Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment.
We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations.
The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.
Adopted June 28, 1997, by the ALA Council; amended January 22, 2008.
ALA Preservation Policy - from Assn for Lib Collections & Tech Svcs
http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/preserv/01alaprespolicy.cfm
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION PRESERVATION POLICY, Revised 2001
Preamble
The American Library Association's policy on preservation is based on its goal of ensuring that every person has access to information at the time needed and in a usable format. ALA affirms that the preservation of library resources protects the public's right to the free flow of information as embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights.
The Association supports the preservation of information published in all media and formats.
The Association affirms that the preservation of information resources is central to libraries and librarianship.
Librarians must be committed to preserving their collections through appropriate and non-damaging storage, remedial treatment of damaged and fragile items, preservation of materials in their original format when possible, replacement or reformatting of deteriorated materials, appropriate security measures, and life-cycle management of digital publications to assure their usefulness for future generations. Preservation issues should be addressed while planning for new construction or the renovation of existing buildings.
Librarians who create, maintain, and share bibliographic records and other metadata associated with physical and digital objects in their collections enhance security, access, and preservation and facilitate collaborative efforts to protect the Nation's cultural heritage.
Librarians must educate the public about the choices and the financial commitments necessary to preserve our society's cultural and social records.
Preservation of Digital Information
Publishers and distributors of content in digital form must address the usability and longevity of their electronic works. The Association encourages publishers to provide to libraries metadata that will facilitate the life cycle management of works in digital formats and to deposit digital works in repositories that provide for the long-term persistence and usability of digital content. The Association will work with the publishers of content in digital form to develop guidelines on the preservation of digital information to help ensure that such information will not be lost when publishers can no longer retain and disseminate it.
The Association encourages research on metadata, software, operating systems, and life cycle management techniques that may effect the preservation of digital works.
ALA Core Values - Preservation
52.2.1 Preservation Policy. National Information Services and Responsibilities. Permanence and Durability of Information Products
The American Library Association's policy on preservation is based on its goal of ensuring that every person has access to information at the time needed and in a usable format. ALA affirms that the preservation of library resources protects the public's right to the free flow of information as embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights.The Association supports the preservation of information published in all media and formats. The Association affirms that the preservation of information resources is central to libraries and librarianship.
The Association and its Divisions will work closely with standards-setting organizations to identify and develop standards relevant to the preservation of library collections, participate in their periodic review and updating, identify and develop new standards when needed, and promote compliance with existing standards.
Manufacturers, publishers, distributors and purchasers of information products must work in tandem to imp rove the usability, durability, and longevity of the media (e.g., paper, film, magnetic tape, optical disk) that ensure the persistence of these products. The Association will engage in active education and public relations efforts to develop, promote, and publicize standards for the usability, longevity, and durability of information media.
The Association will work with the publishers of content in digital form to develop guidelines on the preservation of digital information to help ensure that such information will not be lost when publishers can no longer retain and disseminate it.
Libraries have an obligation (a) to inform donors, users, administrators, and local officials about the ephemeral nature of primary source materials, (b) to promote strategies for the proper care, handling, and storage of these materials, and (c) to recommend the use of durable media and methods of documentation.
The federal government must provide leadership in developing an expansive and inclusive national preservation policy. The Association urges the federal government to take responsibility for the longevity of information that it publishes on paper, in microform, and in digital formats. (See "Current Reference File": Preservation Policy. National Information Services and Responsibilities. Permanence and Durability of Information Products, 2000-2001 CD#39.1)
ALA Core Values - Diversity
53.8 Libraries: An American Value
Libraries in America are cornerstones of the communities they serve. Free access to the books, ideas, resources and information in America's libraries is imperative for education, employment, enjoyment, and self-government.Libraries are a legacy to each generation, offering the heritage of the past and the promise of the future. To ensure that libraries flourish and have the freedom to promote and protect the public good in the 21st century, we believe certain principles must be guaranteed.
To that end, we affirm this contract with the people we serve:
- We defend the constitutional rights of all individuals, including children and teenagers, to use the library's resources and services;
- We value our nations diversity and strive to reflect that diversity by providing a full spectrum of resources and services to the communities we serve;
- We affirm the responsibility and the right of all parents and guardians to guide their own children's use of the library and its resources and services;
- We connect people and ideas by helping each person select and effectively use the library's resources;
- We protect each individual's privacy and confidentiality in the use of library resources and services;
- We protect the rights of individuals to express their opinions about library resources and services;
- We celebrate and preserve our democratic society by making available the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions and ideas, so that all individuals have the opportunity to become lifelong learners-informed, literate, educated, and culturally enriched.
Change is constant; but these principles transcend change and endure in a dynamic, technological, social and political environment.
By embracing these principles, libraries in the United States can contribute to a future that values and protects freedom of speech, in a world that celebrates both our similarities and our differences, respects individuals and their beliefs, and holds all persons truly equal and free.
ALA Core Values - Access
The American Library Association opposes the charging of user fees for the provision of information by all libraries and information services that receive their major support from public funds.
All information resources that are provided directly or indirectly by the library, regardless of technology, format, or methods of delivery, should be readily, equally, and equitably accessible to all library users.
The ALA opposes any legislative or regulatory attempt to impose content restrictions on library resources, or to limit user access to information, as a condition of funding for publicly supported libraries and information services. Adopted 1993.(See also Policies 50.3, 50.8, 60.1, and 61.1.)
(See "Current Reference File": Economic Barriers to Information Access: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights: 1992-93 CD #26.6.2.)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Words from my friend
The skills you have recently acquired after overcoming an obstacle have given you new capabilities that you never thought you would ever have -- and if you don't want to lose them, you need to use them!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
boring blog
Sometimes, I wonder what people think when they get to this blog. I wonder what they were looking for. It's just a hodge-podge of stuff, and not very active. I feel badly for those who come to it expecting something they googled for and getting this blog.
See how intesting that was?
Guess it was time for true confessions.
See how intesting that was?
Guess it was time for true confessions.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
ditto.com adventures
Got an email update from Spongecell. Since this is a blog begun to learn Web 2.0 tools, I thought I'd see what new stuff is out there. I chose a link to an article titled " What Are the Limits to the Social Web?" Aside from the fact that it talks about grammar for no apparent reason (which, ironically, this article needs help with), I did learn something new. (Since anyone with an Internet connection can publish anything they want (after all, that's what Web 2.0 is all about, isn't it?), poor grammar is obviously something I need to get over.)
“Ditto is a platform for fans to create and browse definitive entertainment lists for the purposes of discovery and debate.” Or, they say: “Ditto aims to do for opinion what Wikipedia did for facts.”
So, I went to ditto.com and searched (the Web tab) for Spanish lessons. In the first ten hits Ditto listed, there were two that had anything to do with Spanish, unless there's a new way to learn Spanish by watching skateboard videos.
Okay, let's try one that looks relevant. From the list of hits ("Sponsored Results") Ditto returned, I chose "Search Spanish Lessons & More." The link listed was ewoss.info. It linked me to baptistbaptisms.com. (Looks like a list of links to places used to research geneaology.)
Hmmm, that's a weird one. Let's try another hit in the Ditto results list. It listed articlezone.net as the link. Linked to Megasearch.biz and yet another list of Sponsored Results. This list actually had the word "Spanish" in the titles.
The social networking article also talked about Scour "a new search engine that promises to let users search socially." For some reason, I've written a diatribe, so I'll save Scour for another day when I have more time.
“Ditto is a platform for fans to create and browse definitive entertainment lists for the purposes of discovery and debate.” Or, they say: “Ditto aims to do for opinion what Wikipedia did for facts.”
So, I went to ditto.com and searched (the Web tab) for Spanish lessons. In the first ten hits Ditto listed, there were two that had anything to do with Spanish, unless there's a new way to learn Spanish by watching skateboard videos.
Okay, let's try one that looks relevant. From the list of hits ("Sponsored Results") Ditto returned, I chose "Search Spanish Lessons & More." The link listed was ewoss.info. It linked me to baptistbaptisms.com. (Looks like a list of links to places used to research geneaology.)
Hmmm, that's a weird one. Let's try another hit in the Ditto results list. It listed articlezone.net as the link. Linked to Megasearch.biz and yet another list of Sponsored Results. This list actually had the word "Spanish" in the titles.
The social networking article also talked about Scour "a new search engine that promises to let users search socially." For some reason, I've written a diatribe, so I'll save Scour for another day when I have more time.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Article on Bartering
The full Article, with any associated images and links can be viewed here.
Who needs cash? Barter can be better than buying
KARA McGUIRE, Star Tribune
With gas prices climbing, Nikeeta Psyck was ready to kiss her 1999 Chevy Blazer with oversize tires goodbye. But for that same reason, the dealers she tried wouldn't even take the truck as a trade. "Nobody was buying 4-by-4s," she said.
So Psyck headed online, to free classified ad site Craigslist, where she has successfully bartered several unwanted items in exchange for furniture, clothes, you name it. She listed her truck, waited a few weeks and became the proud new owner of a 1999 Grand Am last month.
With unemployment up, home values down and other prices rising, consumers aren't so confident. So instead of pulling out their wallets, many are turning to the age-old business of bartering to get what they need or simply want.
"The economy right now really kind of stinks, and it costs more for a lot of things," said Psyck, 36, of St. Paul. "If you can barter something that you have for something you're looking for, it saves you money."
Bartering on Craigslist has grown substantially during the economic downturn. There were 126,710 listings in the barter category last month -- up 80 percent compared with May 2006.
In Minnesota, bartering is up 77 percent over the same period, with 3,531 barter listings in May.
"In a down economy, people are sometimes looking for a cashless way of doing business," said Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster, who said the site also saw a rise in bartering during the 2000-01 recession. "People are looking to stretch their household economy a little bit by swapping items they don't need or providing a service like singing lessons or bicycle repair or whatever it may be for something that they're looking for."
Bartering also rises around the holidays, and it's attracting Americans concerned about their environmental footprint and who hate to think of a perfectly good item in a landfill somewhere, Buckmaster added.
Peruse the Minneapolis area barter listings on any given day and you'll find an incredible array of items. A 1983 Buick hearse for a hot rod, personal training for dental work, a driveway sealcoated for custom printed T-shirts, even rare turkeys for a milk cow.
Some listings are created by business owners who hope to drum up business through trades, while other posts are made by individuals. A growing number allude to gas prices or economic hardship.
A Columbia Heights resident is searching for a scooter and "would like to trade one of my prized possessions (since i can't ride a guitar to work)." An insurance agent is looking to trade a boat for an "easy-on-gas car." A mom is willing to part with her TV cabinet for a double stroller; she said she can't afford one because her husband is laid off.
Fun and frustrating
In the midst of a divorce and out of work, 25-year-old Emily Bowers has turned to Craigslist in search of groceries and pet food for her dogs Molly and Simone. The Minnetonka resident has traded an exercise bike, artwork and knickknacks for necessities and creates a new post each week with a laundry list of what she's willing to trade and what she needs. Her experiences with bartering are mixed: "It feels really good once you've completed a sale, and it can also be frustrating when people say they are interested, but then never respond to e-mails," she said.
While it can be fun and exciting, bartering is harder than heading to the store, said Mark Bergen, chair of the Marketing Department at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. "Prices are actually something that makes [transactions] easier," explained Bergen, who has studied bartering.
Swapping is also more time-consuming, with both parties needing to conduct independent research and negotiate a deal. The old adage "time is money'' doesn't always ring true in a recession. "In a flush economy, there's more people who have more money than time and in a down economy it starts to shift the other way, where people have more time than money," said Buckmaster. "And if they have stuff to get rid of, they have time to sell it."
Then there's the whole business of taxes. If you're trading professional services, such as a carpenter making cabinets for a dentist who will fill his cavity, the value of those goods and services may be subject to income tax. But for consumers taking part in "the informal exchange of similar services on a noncommercial basis," taxation won't be an issue, according to the IRS. Minnesota state sales tax also may apply to barter transactions. Go to www.taxes.state.mn.us and put "barter'' in the search field.
Besides Craigslist, several other websites facilitate trades, including www.BarterBee.com, www.BarterBucks.us and www.SwapThing.com.
The tougher economy has increased interest in bartering offline as well. Hour Dollars, a Twin Cities organization that trades services between neighbors, was started by two St. Paul neighbors a decade ago. Interest in the group of about 100 people has been steady over the years, but in 2008 "we've had maybe 20 people" looking for more information, said Julie Seitz, who helps run the volunteer-operated organization, online at www.hourdollars.org.
For some, a down economy has nothing to do with bartering. "People can be very creative. That's what lured me into this Craigslist business," Mike Planthaber of Maple Grove wrote in an e-mail. The 24-year-old software consultant has traded DVDs, books and video games that before would have collected dust on a shelf. "I was done with the game, and I figured there was someone else out there in my position who hadn't played it yet, so why not trade?"
Psyck, who traded her truck for a car, is currently hoping someone will take her computer in return for a motorcycle. "I'm addicted," she said.
Kara McGuire • 612-673-7293
Who needs cash? Barter can be better than buying
KARA McGUIRE, Star Tribune
With gas prices climbing, Nikeeta Psyck was ready to kiss her 1999 Chevy Blazer with oversize tires goodbye. But for that same reason, the dealers she tried wouldn't even take the truck as a trade. "Nobody was buying 4-by-4s," she said.
So Psyck headed online, to free classified ad site Craigslist, where she has successfully bartered several unwanted items in exchange for furniture, clothes, you name it. She listed her truck, waited a few weeks and became the proud new owner of a 1999 Grand Am last month.
With unemployment up, home values down and other prices rising, consumers aren't so confident. So instead of pulling out their wallets, many are turning to the age-old business of bartering to get what they need or simply want.
"The economy right now really kind of stinks, and it costs more for a lot of things," said Psyck, 36, of St. Paul. "If you can barter something that you have for something you're looking for, it saves you money."
Bartering on Craigslist has grown substantially during the economic downturn. There were 126,710 listings in the barter category last month -- up 80 percent compared with May 2006.
In Minnesota, bartering is up 77 percent over the same period, with 3,531 barter listings in May.
"In a down economy, people are sometimes looking for a cashless way of doing business," said Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster, who said the site also saw a rise in bartering during the 2000-01 recession. "People are looking to stretch their household economy a little bit by swapping items they don't need or providing a service like singing lessons or bicycle repair or whatever it may be for something that they're looking for."
Bartering also rises around the holidays, and it's attracting Americans concerned about their environmental footprint and who hate to think of a perfectly good item in a landfill somewhere, Buckmaster added.
Peruse the Minneapolis area barter listings on any given day and you'll find an incredible array of items. A 1983 Buick hearse for a hot rod, personal training for dental work, a driveway sealcoated for custom printed T-shirts, even rare turkeys for a milk cow.
Some listings are created by business owners who hope to drum up business through trades, while other posts are made by individuals. A growing number allude to gas prices or economic hardship.
A Columbia Heights resident is searching for a scooter and "would like to trade one of my prized possessions (since i can't ride a guitar to work)." An insurance agent is looking to trade a boat for an "easy-on-gas car." A mom is willing to part with her TV cabinet for a double stroller; she said she can't afford one because her husband is laid off.
Fun and frustrating
In the midst of a divorce and out of work, 25-year-old Emily Bowers has turned to Craigslist in search of groceries and pet food for her dogs Molly and Simone. The Minnetonka resident has traded an exercise bike, artwork and knickknacks for necessities and creates a new post each week with a laundry list of what she's willing to trade and what she needs. Her experiences with bartering are mixed: "It feels really good once you've completed a sale, and it can also be frustrating when people say they are interested, but then never respond to e-mails," she said.
While it can be fun and exciting, bartering is harder than heading to the store, said Mark Bergen, chair of the Marketing Department at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. "Prices are actually something that makes [transactions] easier," explained Bergen, who has studied bartering.
Swapping is also more time-consuming, with both parties needing to conduct independent research and negotiate a deal. The old adage "time is money'' doesn't always ring true in a recession. "In a flush economy, there's more people who have more money than time and in a down economy it starts to shift the other way, where people have more time than money," said Buckmaster. "And if they have stuff to get rid of, they have time to sell it."
Then there's the whole business of taxes. If you're trading professional services, such as a carpenter making cabinets for a dentist who will fill his cavity, the value of those goods and services may be subject to income tax. But for consumers taking part in "the informal exchange of similar services on a noncommercial basis," taxation won't be an issue, according to the IRS. Minnesota state sales tax also may apply to barter transactions. Go to www.taxes.state.mn.us and put "barter'' in the search field.
Besides Craigslist, several other websites facilitate trades, including www.BarterBee.com, www.BarterBucks.us and www.SwapThing.com.
The tougher economy has increased interest in bartering offline as well. Hour Dollars, a Twin Cities organization that trades services between neighbors, was started by two St. Paul neighbors a decade ago. Interest in the group of about 100 people has been steady over the years, but in 2008 "we've had maybe 20 people" looking for more information, said Julie Seitz, who helps run the volunteer-operated organization, online at www.hourdollars.org.
For some, a down economy has nothing to do with bartering. "People can be very creative. That's what lured me into this Craigslist business," Mike Planthaber of Maple Grove wrote in an e-mail. The 24-year-old software consultant has traded DVDs, books and video games that before would have collected dust on a shelf. "I was done with the game, and I figured there was someone else out there in my position who hadn't played it yet, so why not trade?"
Psyck, who traded her truck for a car, is currently hoping someone will take her computer in return for a motorcycle. "I'm addicted," she said.
Kara McGuire • 612-673-7293
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
50826 mostly FREE BOOKS ONLINE
I just subscribed to this site's email newsletter: http://67.118.51.201/bol/default.cfm
More exploration is definitely required.
More exploration is definitely required.
librarian site
this is a site I've mentioned before: http://supercrazylibrarianguy.wordpress.com
I've been exploring on this site; there's lots to explore, and when I get around to it, I'll add it to my RSS stuff.
I've been exploring on this site; there's lots to explore, and when I get around to it, I'll add it to my RSS stuff.
Another 2.0 tool - online highlighter
The Awesome Highlighter lets you highlight sections of a web page, then save it for your own purposes or pass it along for others to see. You can begin by simply pasting a URL into the box on the homepage, but I had the best luck with the bookmarklet, and there’s also a Firefox extension to make highlighting while browsing easier. Once you’re on the page you just highlight with the mouse (like you’re going to copy something) and it automatically highlights what you select. When you’re done, you’re given a URL to share your marked up page. Really, if you’ve ever used a highlighter you know pretty much everything you need to know. Seems like this could come in pretty handy for email or IM reference
free sheet music
Here's a place that has sheet music that's in the public domain:
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/
Only two harp pieces and they're not for folk harp. Oh well.
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/
Only two harp pieces and they're not for folk harp. Oh well.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
ZOHO wiki not for me
Tried my zoho wiki. I think I'm going to stick with my Wetpaint wiki. Not that I understand what I'm doing, yet, but it looks prettier.
yeah, yeah, book cover.... yada yada
yeah, yeah, book cover.... yada yada
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
One of the things I noticed about not doing 23 Things in order is I've missed some things in the Things. I thought I would have time to go back and "play" with them some more. Case in point is Thing 21. Look what I found: www.whatsonmybookshelf.com/conditions.php
The site is using a type of barter system and I think it might be just what I'm looking for. I'm working on a project and I didn't have a clue about some of the logistics.
Just another example of how 23 Things is helping me in my daily life.
The site is using a type of barter system and I think it might be just what I'm looking for. I'm working on a project and I didn't have a clue about some of the logistics.
Just another example of how 23 Things is helping me in my daily life.
Ajax & Web 2.0
In a previous life, I did computers for a living. Maybe that's why I've been curious about what Web 2.0 is (i.e., not what it does). In a discussion of Ajax, I found this snippet:
"Ajax's most appealing characteristic, however, is its “asynchronous” nature, which means it can do all of this [send and receive info from a server script] without having to refresh the page. This allows you to update portions of a page based upon user events and provides one of the cornerstones of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) referred to in discussions of “Web 2.0.” "
No, it's not a lot of info and it doesn't explain how to do it (that's in the rest of the article), but it seems my curiosity is satisfied.
"Ajax's most appealing characteristic, however, is its “asynchronous” nature, which means it can do all of this [send and receive info from a server script] without having to refresh the page. This allows you to update portions of a page based upon user events and provides one of the cornerstones of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) referred to in discussions of “Web 2.0.” "
-- Web Design in a Nutshell (O’Reilly Media, Inc., third edition, February 21, 2006)
No, it's not a lot of info and it doesn't explain how to do it (that's in the rest of the article), but it seems my curiosity is satisfied.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
What is Ajax?
- Ajax the methodology - this is the concept, the approach: fetching small pieces of data from the server, without a whole page refresh.
- Ajax the technology - the libraries and toolkits: JavaScript, Flash, XML, HTML, etc. whatever enables #1 above.
- Ajax the implementation - it can be as boring (and useful!) as a "smart" HTML form that validates fields as you tab between them, or as sexy as Google Maps.
Here's a Map of Library 2.0 MEME
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=307338&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=2212848798&aid=-1&id=694941501&oid=2212848798
Friday, April 18, 2008
Finding more stuff about Wikis on Facebook & delicious
http://library2.usask.ca/~fichter/wiki/ led to:
Wikipatterns.com is a toolbox of patterns & anti-patterns, and a guide to the stages of wiki adoption.
What is a pattern?
For example, anyone who has used a wiki for some time knows that it's good to have people around who will fix up typos and broken links, and make sure pages are in their correct categories. A pattern makes it easier to talk about these people because it gives them a name (WikiGardener), and also explains that the best way to encourage WikiGardeners is to have a wiki where everyone is comfortable editing pages, and there is no rigid ownership of content.
Wikipatterns.com is a toolbox of patterns & anti-patterns, and a guide to the stages of wiki adoption.
- Added its feed to Bloglines.
What is a pattern?
http://www.wikipatterns.com/display/wikipatterns/About
A pattern is a model considered worthy of imitation (i.e., if it worked for others, it can work for you). Newcomers can benefit from their predecessors' experiences so they don't have to make the same mistakes fumbling around for the same solutions to the same problems. Just as importantly, patterns give adepts a shared language in which to speak about these common concepts.For example, anyone who has used a wiki for some time knows that it's good to have people around who will fix up typos and broken links, and make sure pages are in their correct categories. A pattern makes it easier to talk about these people because it gives them a name (WikiGardener), and also explains that the best way to encourage WikiGardeners is to have a wiki where everyone is comfortable editing pages, and there is no rigid ownership of content.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
#11
Thank you all for participating. We know you made a big commitment of time and energy to this project.
We truly appreciate all the comments that recognize the big task of getting 23 Things On a Stick up and running and maintaining it for the duration. It was worth every hour, every frustration, and every broken link to bring such a program to Minnesota's library staff who then enthusiastically embraced the program and made it a phenomenon.
Once the names are drawn for the big prizes on April 29, everyone on this list will get an announcement with the list of winners.
Last week's News had a list of the fabulous prizes!
Each Multitype has plans for how the finishers' incentives will be distributed. Watch for separate announcements about that from your Multitype region.
Lots of Finishers! Congratulations!
This is the completion incentive--cool!
The bad weather that caused some school cancellations and the desire to spend the weekend cosied up to your computers gave many people a chance to push on to the finish!
Congratulations to all who finished and blogged about the 23. Here is the
Think you should be on the list? If you did not do the evaluation, we don't have a record of your completion. There are a few mysterious finishers who did the evaluation, but did not put email, blog name, or other identifier, so, who are you?
Let us know before April 29 if you think you should be on the list. minn23@gmail.com
Blogger
* Blogger has added Blogger in Draft is a version of Blogger with experimental features in try-out before they are published for all Bloggers. The Blogger in Draft blog is the place for the latest news on new features. The adventurous among you can log into Blogger at draft.blogger.com instead of www.blogger.com. The blueprint logo shows you're in the right place. Try out the features and let us know how they work. Chances are, we will add a Thing about the best ones in More On a Stick.
Flickr
* Flickr has added video to its site. Flickr Pro (paid subscription) users can upload short 90 second videos. Not everyone is happy about this new feature!
* A lot of "the cool kids" at MOO cards as their business/contact cards. These small (1"x3") photo cards use your Flickr (or other photo site that cooperates with MOO) to produce 100 cards for $19.99+shipping. Nice quality and very fun. MOO prints other paper stuff, too. I have used WinkFlash for printing things. I ordered postcards with this photo--nice quality and they came in 3 days.
* If you plan to use Flickr regularly, consider downloading the Flickr Uploader. It makes the job quick and easy.
Bloglines
Here are new features for Bloglines. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up.
Minitex Webinar
Michelle Jacobs, Emerging Technologies and Web Coordinator at UCLA, discusses and presents various Web 2.0 tools and how they can be used to enhance current collections and services. Technologies will range from learning how to keep track of new tech trends to easy to download applications, to actual application design.
* Monday, May 5 - 3:00-4:00 PM
* Tuesday, May 6 - 2:00-3:00 PM
* Friday, May 9 - 1:00-2:00 PM
Google
# Keeping up with Google changes and features is a fulltime job. For example, did you notice the GoogleDocs Revisions tab disappeared? You now go to the File menu--Revisions to track the changes to your document. The Save tab has re-appeared after many complaints from users. There are a bunch of other Official Google Blog YouTube Blog
Second Life
Rumor has it that one of the multitype directors is really into Second Life as a result of 23 Things.
* College of DuPage had a recent teleconference Trends, Fads or Folly: Spotting the Library Trends That Really Matter with a lot of info about Second Life, among other topics. Check it out!
* Here's the ELM Productivity Tools
This Thing generated a lot of comments--and frustrations. YouTube
Everyone is getting into the act! Check out the brand new are all those ALA acronyms
* 8 videos for National Library Week 2008. Some samples (Fun, but that intro gets old if you watch all 8 in a row! Just a warning.):
o
o Go Fish
And, just because it's fun, this local library video pointed out by :
* If you need inspiration to make your own video, watch the 2007 & 2008 winners of InfoTubey contest. Clever, fun, & informative.
We truly appreciate all the comments that recognize the big task of getting 23 Things On a Stick up and running and maintaining it for the duration. It was worth every hour, every frustration, and every broken link to bring such a program to Minnesota's library staff who then enthusiastically embraced the program and made it a phenomenon.
Once the names are drawn for the big prizes on April 29, everyone on this list will get an announcement with the list of winners.
Last week's News had a list of the fabulous prizes!
Each Multitype has plans for how the finishers' incentives will be distributed. Watch for separate announcements about that from your Multitype region.
Lots of Finishers! Congratulations!
This is the completion incentive--cool!
The bad weather that caused some school cancellations and the desire to spend the weekend cosied up to your computers gave many people a chance to push on to the finish!
Congratulations to all who finished and blogged about the 23. Here is the
Think you should be on the list? If you did not do the evaluation, we don't have a record of your completion. There are a few mysterious finishers who did the evaluation, but did not put email, blog name, or other identifier, so, who are you?
Let us know before April 29 if you think you should be on the list. minn23@gmail.com
Blogger
* Blogger has added Blogger in Draft is a version of Blogger with experimental features in try-out before they are published for all Bloggers. The Blogger in Draft blog is the place for the latest news on new features. The adventurous among you can log into Blogger at draft.blogger.com instead of www.blogger.com. The blueprint logo shows you're in the right place. Try out the features and let us know how they work. Chances are, we will add a Thing about the best ones in More On a Stick.
Flickr
* Flickr has added video to its site. Flickr Pro (paid subscription) users can upload short 90 second videos. Not everyone is happy about this new feature!
* A lot of "the cool kids" at MOO cards as their business/contact cards. These small (1"x3") photo cards use your Flickr (or other photo site that cooperates with MOO) to produce 100 cards for $19.99+shipping. Nice quality and very fun. MOO prints other paper stuff, too. I have used WinkFlash for printing things. I ordered postcards with this photo--nice quality and they came in 3 days.
* If you plan to use Flickr regularly, consider downloading the Flickr Uploader. It makes the job quick and easy.
Bloglines
Here are new features for Bloglines. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up.
Minitex Webinar
Michelle Jacobs, Emerging Technologies and Web Coordinator at UCLA, discusses and presents various Web 2.0 tools and how they can be used to enhance current collections and services. Technologies will range from learning how to keep track of new tech trends to easy to download applications, to actual application design.
* Monday, May 5 - 3:00-4:00 PM
* Tuesday, May 6 - 2:00-3:00 PM
* Friday, May 9 - 1:00-2:00 PM
# Keeping up with Google changes and features is a fulltime job. For example, did you notice the GoogleDocs Revisions tab disappeared? You now go to the File menu--Revisions to track the changes to your document. The Save tab has re-appeared after many complaints from users. There are a bunch of other Official Google Blog YouTube Blog
Second Life
Rumor has it that one of the multitype directors is really into Second Life as a result of 23 Things.
* College of DuPage had a recent teleconference Trends, Fads or Folly: Spotting the Library Trends That Really Matter with a lot of info about Second Life, among other topics. Check it out!
* Here's the ELM Productivity Tools
This Thing generated a lot of comments--and frustrations. YouTube
Everyone is getting into the act! Check out the brand new are all those ALA acronyms
* 8 videos for National Library Week 2008. Some samples (Fun, but that intro gets old if you watch all 8 in a row! Just a warning.):
o
o Go Fish
And, just because it's fun, this local library video pointed out by :
* If you need inspiration to make your own video, watch the 2007 & 2008 winners of InfoTubey contest. Clever, fun, & informative.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Thing 23 and Feedback
Here are some questions to prompt you:
* If we offered a 23 More Things On a Stick program like this in the future would you participate?
* In a heartbeat.
So many tools, resources and ideas were presented in this project. It would have taken me months to find these things, and most likely I wouldn't have found many of them at all.
I'm going to be going through the 23 thing site many more times to go over them more thoroughly.
* Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was surprised how much I didn't know about the Internet. What a treasure trove.
* What were your favorite Things and discoveries?
Wikis. They are a great way to collect, store and share info. They provide a way to have a more malleable database available to anyone who has access, without having to have your own centralized server server.
* How did you connect with others doing the 23 Things On a Stick?
I remained connected to other participants via your weekly email newsletters.
* What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or content?
Less time spent on Flickr would have been appreciated.
* How would you describe your learning experience in one word or in one sentence, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things On a Stick learning activities to others?
23 Things provided knowledge of tools that enable the exploration of the Internet - a vast collection of the world's knowledge. Isn't this what librarianship all about?
* If we offered a 23 More Things On a Stick program like this in the future would you participate?
* In a heartbeat.
So many tools, resources and ideas were presented in this project. It would have taken me months to find these things, and most likely I wouldn't have found many of them at all.
I'm going to be going through the 23 thing site many more times to go over them more thoroughly.
* Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was surprised how much I didn't know about the Internet. What a treasure trove.
* What were your favorite Things and discoveries?
Wikis. They are a great way to collect, store and share info. They provide a way to have a more malleable database available to anyone who has access, without having to have your own centralized server server.
* How did you connect with others doing the 23 Things On a Stick?
I remained connected to other participants via your weekly email newsletters.
* What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or content?
Less time spent on Flickr would have been appreciated.
* How would you describe your learning experience in one word or in one sentence, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things On a Stick learning activities to others?
23 Things provided knowledge of tools that enable the exploration of the Internet - a vast collection of the world's knowledge. Isn't this what librarianship all about?
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Thing 20. Libraries and Social Networks
I joined Facebook. I didn't think it would have any interest for me since I'm not really interested in being part of groups of people I don't know. But I was wrong. I found a group of librarians that love wikis. I'm looking for lots of info on wikis (because 23 Things has made me obsessed). Here's their tag: http://del.icio.us/wikilovers.
During the Facebook registration, I was shown all the Facebook people from my high school. Don't know why, but it felt weird. Maybe it's 'cause I don't like giving out personal info, or maybe it's 'cause I don't want to be found. One wonders at one's strange thoughts, but have them we do.
I joined the Library 2.0 Interest group. It's huge!
I also joined the Librarians and facebook group.
Another place like Facebook for professions: LinkedIn.com. I haven't joined yet.
Resources
* Information Wants to be Free blogpost that describes some of the pros and cons about venturing into social networks
* 12 Ways to Use Facebook Professionally
* 7 Things You Should Know About Facebook (pdf)
During the Facebook registration, I was shown all the Facebook people from my high school. Don't know why, but it felt weird. Maybe it's 'cause I don't like giving out personal info, or maybe it's 'cause I don't want to be found. One wonders at one's strange thoughts, but have them we do.
I joined the Library 2.0 Interest group. It's huge!
I also joined the Librarians and facebook group.
Another place like Facebook for professions: LinkedIn.com. I haven't joined yet.
Resources
* Information Wants to be Free blogpost that describes some of the pros and cons about venturing into social networks
* 12 Ways to Use Facebook Professionally
* 7 Things You Should Know About Facebook (pdf)
Thing 18. YouTube & Other Online Video
YouTube is fun, but, for the most part, it's not interesting to me. Maybe a library could add YouTube links to an online library newsletter.
Here's a site where you can search the Web for videos. Found it on the e-consultant site.
http://www.truveo.com/search.php?query=web+2.0&uqs=
Here's a site where you can search the Web for videos. Found it on the e-consultant site.
http://www.truveo.com/search.php?query=web+2.0&uqs=
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Thing 16. Student 2.0 Tools
For this Thing,
1. Look at the RPC and the Assignment Calculator. Don’t try to cover every aspect of the tools, but rather browse the steps and consider how you could encourage students to use this product.
This is yet another cool tool! This would have been really handy when I was a tech writer.
I showed my brother who teaches college courses.
2. Look at the supporting materials in the Teacher Guide. Are any appropriate for library handouts or can you find other resources to supplement what you do for students?
1. Look at the RPC and the Assignment Calculator. Don’t try to cover every aspect of the tools, but rather browse the steps and consider how you could encourage students to use this product.
This is yet another cool tool! This would have been really handy when I was a tech writer.
I showed my brother who teaches college courses.
2. Look at the supporting materials in the Teacher Guide. Are any appropriate for library handouts or can you find other resources to supplement what you do for students?
Blog Prompts
-How might the RPC and the Teacher Guide help you help students plan and manage research projects?
-Can you think of any uses for library projects—could you use it to help manage a timeline for a project of your own?
Thing 10. Wikis
Blog Prompts
-What types of applications within libraries and schools might work well with a wiki?
-Which wiki did you edit?
Challenge (optional)
1. Want to create your own wiki?
A few weeks ago, I created a wiki: http://lanesboro.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
I started it as an experimental project I'm working on for my town.
2. Choose a topic, create the wiki, add entries, and let us know what you are doing.
My wiki will be used as a method of organizing a barter system in Lanesboro. At the very least, it will be a great starting point. Up till now, I haven't been able to determine a way to implement my idea. Most solutions are time and location intensive. I'm not heroic enough to do a LOT of work for free.
- -What did you find interesting about the wiki concept?
-What types of applications within libraries and schools might work well with a wiki?
- -Many teachers/faculty "ban" Wikipedia as a source for student research. What do you think of the practice of limiting information by format?
-Which wiki did you edit?
Challenge (optional)
1. Want to create your own wiki?
A few weeks ago, I created a wiki: http://lanesboro.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
I started it as an experimental project I'm working on for my town.
2. Choose a topic, create the wiki, add entries, and let us know what you are doing.
My wiki will be used as a method of organizing a barter system in Lanesboro. At the very least, it will be a great starting point. Up till now, I haven't been able to determine a way to implement my idea. Most solutions are time and location intensive. I'm not heroic enough to do a LOT of work for free.
Thing 9. Online Collaboration Tools
Blog Prompts
send an email to minn23@gmail.com and we wil invite you.
- Which of these tools is easier for you to use?
I've been working on this Thing, intermittently, for weeks. I finally noticed the note about getting invited. duh
- How do the features of each compare? Does one have features that would make you choose it over the other?
- What would the Founding Fathers think?
Challenge (optional)
1. Sign up for an account in Zoho and/or Google.
2. Create and share another type of document using other Zoho tools—Sheet (spreadsheet), Show (presentation tool), Notebook, or Wiki.
3. Publish the document (Public) and post the link on your blog for others to view and/or edit.
4. Blog about the tools' ease of use, potential in the library, and other thoughts.
Thing 17. ELM Productivity Tools
an online, virtual library comprised of 15 databases/resources from 4 different vendors (Gale/Cengage Learning, EBSCO, ProQuest, & OCLC).
The ELM Portal (http://elm4you.org/) also provides access to the ELM databases with a patron’s library barcode number.
The ELM databases offer a variety of Web 2.0 tools that can make using the databases more efficient for library staff and library users.
New instructions for creating RSS search alerts are in Issue 8. of the 23 Things News.
1. Create a Search Alert
Blog Prompts
The ELM Portal (http://elm4you.org/) also provides access to the ELM databases with a patron’s library barcode number.
The ELM databases offer a variety of Web 2.0 tools that can make using the databases more efficient for library staff and library users.
New instructions for creating RSS search alerts are in Issue 8. of the 23 Things News.
1. Create a Search Alert
Blog Prompts
- How can these tools be applied to your everyday work?
- How can these tools facilitate collaboration with your colleagues?
- How can these tools benefit your patrons/students?
Friday, April 11, 2008
T13 Babble
http://www.playbabble.com/
Okay - this is cool - it's Boggle, one of my favorite games. this one could definitely be a time sucker.
Okay - this is cool - it's Boggle, one of my favorite games. this one could definitely be a time sucker.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Thing 13. Online Productivity Tools
Blog Prompts
* Which start page did you choose? - PageFlake
* Why did that one appeal to you? - I liked the widgets.
* Will you make it your permanent home page? - No, it's a bit too clunky.
* Did you find a tool that has some uses for you at the library or at home? Which tool(s) would you recommend to others?
* How can the online calendars be useful to you?
- This will be great for advising about meetings without having to send email - especially if I can get it onto the group's blog, which I wasn't able to figure out how to do, yet. Set up calendars in both SpongeCell and Google. Couldn't make the calendar display on the blog. I even tried mucking about in CSS.
* What about the to-do lists—helpful, too much work…? To-do lists are, by definition, too much work.
* Did you try out Backpack? What did you think?
* Did you try any of the other tools in the list? Any good ones we should all try?
Challenge (optional)
1. Have a big project that you need to complete? Online productivity tools can help with complicated tasks involving multiple people, deadlines, and activities. Compare and contrast these project management services. Let us know what you think
* Which start page did you choose? - PageFlake
* Why did that one appeal to you? - I liked the widgets.
* Will you make it your permanent home page? - No, it's a bit too clunky.
* Did you find a tool that has some uses for you at the library or at home? Which tool(s) would you recommend to others?
* How can the online calendars be useful to you?
- This will be great for advising about meetings without having to send email - especially if I can get it onto the group's blog, which I wasn't able to figure out how to do, yet. Set up calendars in both SpongeCell and Google. Couldn't make the calendar display on the blog. I even tried mucking about in CSS.
* What about the to-do lists—helpful, too much work…? To-do lists are, by definition, too much work.
* Did you try out Backpack? What did you think?
* Did you try any of the other tools in the list? Any good ones we should all try?
Challenge (optional)
1. Have a big project that you need to complete? Online productivity tools can help with complicated tasks involving multiple people, deadlines, and activities. Compare and contrast these project management services. Let us know what you think
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
#10
Thing 21. Beyond MySpace: Other Social Networks
We wanted to show you some social networks beyond MySpace and Facebook that might interest you, so did you find any you liked in Thing 21? If the ones we listed weren't that appealing, try using Go2Web2.0, which is dubbed "The Complete Web 2.0 Directory," to find some.
Besides finding some that you find appealing, some of these social networks might be useful for you at work. A lot of us get genealogy questions on an almost-daily basis, so maybe some of the genealogy social networks would help your patrons? Show a patron how to use Geni, GeneTree, or It's Our Tree to keep track of their genealogy information and find family connections. Or maybe LibraryThing or What Should I Read Next? could help with reader's advisory? TravBuddy could help with those travel-guide-type questions.
There is a social network for everyone, so find one you might like for yourself, but also think about your patrons. There might be great sites out there that you could introduce them to, and now that you're all the way to Thing 21, you'll be a pro at showing them how to use these sites!
We wanted to show you some social networks beyond MySpace and Facebook that might interest you, so did you find any you liked in Thing 21? If the ones we listed weren't that appealing, try using Go2Web2.0, which is dubbed "The Complete Web 2.0 Directory," to find some.
Besides finding some that you find appealing, some of these social networks might be useful for you at work. A lot of us get genealogy questions on an almost-daily basis, so maybe some of the genealogy social networks would help your patrons? Show a patron how to use Geni, GeneTree, or It's Our Tree to keep track of their genealogy information and find family connections. Or maybe LibraryThing or What Should I Read Next? could help with reader's advisory? TravBuddy could help with those travel-guide-type questions.
There is a social network for everyone, so find one you might like for yourself, but also think about your patrons. There might be great sites out there that you could introduce them to, and now that you're all the way to Thing 21, you'll be a pro at showing them how to use these sites!
Thing 12. StumbleUpon is one of the best Things
Guess I'm not all that interested in knowing about all the things that have ever happened that day in the world. It wouldn't be all that useful as a reference tool. It's more like a popularity contest. Remember how successful the prom queens are in real life?
http://digg.com/
http://reddit.com/
http://www.newsvine.com/
http://www.mixx.com/
Computers drive me crazy, sometimes! And to think! I used to do computers for a living. Mind boggles - but not like the game. Take StumbleUpon, for instance...
The idea of being able to narrow down browser results based on my interests is something I'd like to try.
I added the StumblUpon button to my browser, set up an acct, and saved my preferences. But it doesn't present the items in the subject categories that I chose.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/
Challenge (optional)
Dig deeper into these social media sites by creating an account in one or more of them. Each site offers suites of tools that allow you to comment, chat, create your own news column, and more. Having an account lets you be a participatory member of that community.1. Create the account(s) and explore the tools.2. Blog about the various tools and any uses you see for your library or media center. Let us know what you do!
http://digg.com/
http://reddit.com/
http://www.newsvine.com/
http://www.mixx.com/
Computers drive me crazy, sometimes! And to think! I used to do computers for a living. Mind boggles - but not like the game. Take StumbleUpon, for instance...
The idea of being able to narrow down browser results based on my interests is something I'd like to try.
I added the StumblUpon button to my browser, set up an acct, and saved my preferences. But it doesn't present the items in the subject categories that I chose.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/
Challenge (optional)
Dig deeper into these social media sites by creating an account in one or more of them. Each site offers suites of tools that allow you to comment, chat, create your own news column, and more. Having an account lets you be a participatory member of that community.1. Create the account(s) and explore the tools.2. Blog about the various tools and any uses you see for your library or media center. Let us know what you do!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thing 19. Podcasts
Blog Prompts
2. Which of the directories did you find easiest to use?
================
There are many ways to find podcasts. This Thing introduces you to some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your blog reader (i.e., Bloglines or Google Reader) account, so that when new podcasts become available you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.
- 1. Which podcast(s) did you listen to?
2. Which of the directories did you find easiest to use?
- 3. Has this Thing inspired you to do any podcasting yourself or to subscribe to a podcast to listen to it regularly?
================
There are many ways to find podcasts. This Thing introduces you to some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your blog reader (i.e., Bloglines or Google Reader) account, so that when new podcasts become available you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.
1. Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed in Resources to find a podcast that interests you or listen to a local podcast in the list. Find some interesting library-related podcasts like book reviews or library news or a podcast on anything else that interests you.
2. Listen to one more of the podcasts. Link it in your blog if you would recommend it to others.
3. Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your blog reader account.
4. Try this simple, telephone-based tool that let's you "phone in" your podcast. Gcast says it's so easy your grandma could do it.
Resources
Local Podcasts
- St. Cloud State University Memoirs for School Library Media
- Minnesota Public Radio's podcasts
- On the Road With MINITEX are podcasts produced by MINITEX Reference staff.
- Podcast Alley offers a directory of Minnesota-produced podcasts, too.
There are many, many podcast directories and finding tools out there. Here are just three of the more popular ones that don’t require a software download:
iTunes recently added iTunes U. College and university faculty post content they create for their classes. Students and others can download what they need, and go.Thing 15. Online Games and Libraries
Blog Prompts
- If you chose Second Life, write a blog post about your findings and thoughts on Second Life. Is there a role for Second Life in libraries?
=================
For this Thing, you have some options…
B. Second Life Take a look at Second Life. If you are feeling adventurous, sign up for an account with Second Life and explore the islands. (Make sure your computer can handle the software requirements.)
Resources
Thing 11 Del.icio.us is delicious
Blog Prompts
For this Thing, take a look at Del.icio.us and learn more about this popular bookmarking tool.
3. Take a look around Del.icio.us using the Minn23 account that has the resources used to create 23 Things On a Stick. You can keep up-to-date with what's added by subscribing to the RSS feed.
4. Explore the site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Can you see the comments they added about this bookmark or the tags they used to categorize this reference?
Resources
- Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool.
Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
I like how so many of the social software tools work together. del.icio.us is a great tool to connect those pieces together, especially the personalized parts.
- How can your library or media center take advantage of tagging and del.icio.us?
Using del.icio.us, research (projects) can easily be done by multiple librarians. No longer do you need someone to be there to continue on a project. The work becomes more contiguous. This is helpful when employees only work part-time.
It won't replace my browser's bookmark list, though. It's a bit slow and clunky.
===============For this Thing, take a look at Del.icio.us and learn more about this popular bookmarking tool.
3. Take a look around Del.icio.us using the Minn23 account that has the resources used to create 23 Things On a Stick. You can keep up-to-date with what's added by subscribing to the RSS feed.
4. Explore the site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Can you see the comments they added about this bookmark or the tags they used to categorize this reference?
Resources
T21
For this Thing,
Blog Prompts
1. Read these articles:
Education Music Food Movies Books Hobbies
Getting Things Done
You get the idea; there is a social network for everyone. And, on the chance you can't find a social network that matches your interests, start one of your own.
Resources
Blog Prompts
- Are you a member of any online communities?
- What did you find that was interesting and that you might use later?
1. Read these articles:
- How Gather hopes to be the MySpace for Books in Publisher's Weekly
- WebJunction article: Building a Social Networking Environment at the Library
- Leave comments for another member
- Upload your photos or video to the Ning
- Add the Ning badge to your blog
- Add another of the Ning widgets to your blog
Education Music Food Movies Books Hobbies
Getting Things Done
You get the idea; there is a social network for everyone. And, on the chance you can't find a social network that matches your interests, start one of your own.
Resources
- Wikipedia list of social network sites
- MySpace, Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites: Hot Today, Gone Tomorrow?
- Knowledge@Wharton, May 03, 2006 in
- Nine Ways to Build Your Own Social Network, TechCrunch July 24, 2007
- Tips and tools to help your nonprofit get the most out of online networks, TechSoup, May 5, 2006
- My Guide to Social Networks, a satirical article on social networks in PC Magazine
Thing 14. LibraryThing
1. Take the LibraryThing tour and learn more.
-- Oh yes, this is cool! What's not to like? It's a widget for book lovers.
How popular were your books? Did you find any discussions about your favorites?
Blog Prompts
Resources
Note: It may help to set-up an account before you browse these links. It takes seconds and will eliminate the "highload" error message you may get when trying to browse without an account.
-- Oh yes, this is cool! What's not to like? It's a widget for book lovers.
How popular were your books? Did you find any discussions about your favorites?
Blog Prompts
- How can you use LibraryThing for your library?
- How else do you share booklists, etc. with library patrons? Would LibraryThing offer an alternative?
Resources
- About LibraryThing
- Keep up with LibraryThing blog
- Thingology blog “LibraryThing's ideas blog, on the philosophy and methods of tags, libraries and such not.”
- How libraries are using LibraryThing
- LibraryThing also has group forum for librarians
Note: It may help to set-up an account before you browse these links. It takes seconds and will eliminate the "highload" error message you may get when trying to browse without an account.
T22
* Library Journal has launched a podcast by the Library 2.0 Gang. The Information Wants to Be Free author Meredith has a post on "If I had just 15 minutes a day " to keep up, how I would do it. Take her ideas and add your own for a customized learning plan to help you stay current.
* The access to industry-leading speakers and events. Upcoming speakers include Lee Raine on Maximizing the Power of the Web: Pew Internet & American Life Project's 2007 Findings.
He will include the results of the recent Pew study showing how young people continue to use the library. Sessions are archived on the Institute site or via iTunes. April 18, 2008 (11am-12:00 pm, Eastern) Registration
* More ways to stay in tune:
OPAL Casual Conversations (1-2pm, Central)
Friday, April 11, 2008: Jenny Levine
Friday, May 16, 2008: Stephen Abram
Friday, June 6, 2008: Michael Stephens
More OPAL
Discover Your LibraryThing
Friday, April 18, 2008 (1pm
And don't overlook the value of discussing these tools with colleagues and working on them together in those "spare"moments at the library.
For this Thing,
* The access to industry-leading speakers and events. Upcoming speakers include Lee Raine on Maximizing the Power of the Web: Pew Internet & American Life Project's 2007 Findings.
He will include the results of the recent Pew study showing how young people continue to use the library. Sessions are archived on the Institute site or via iTunes. April 18, 2008 (11am-12:00 pm, Eastern) Registration
* More ways to stay in tune:
OPAL Casual Conversations (1-2pm, Central)
Friday, April 11, 2008: Jenny Levine
Friday, May 16, 2008: Stephen Abram
Friday, June 6, 2008: Michael Stephens
More OPAL
Discover Your LibraryThing
Friday, April 18, 2008 (1pm
And don't overlook the value of discussing these tools with colleagues and working on them together in those "spare"moments at the library.
For this Thing,
1. Make a resolution to maintain your blog, use the tools you now know, keep up with new tools, and apply them in your library. Give yourself the gift of time—15 minutes a day, a Webinar now and then, conversations with colleagues about Library 2.0, whatever—but don't quit now! Put your resolution writing in your blog!
2. Every day, ask yourself, "What did I learn today?" Record your responses in your blog.
So here are some Web sites and blogs to add to your RSS aggregator. There are dozens more—choose ones that speak to you.
Library Web 2.0 Blogs
- Mostly News
- News and Commentary
- WebJunction-Minnesota offers newsletters, online courses, and other content (free to
- OPAL has many online opportunities both live and in its archives to learn about library-related things—Library 2.0, technology, and more.
- Webinars from MINITEX and other sources
- Podcasts on Web 2.0 and library topics—find a few you like and add them to your RSS aggregator.
That’s enough. Glance through these, add the ones you like to your RSS aggregator, use others as needed. And remember, you can delete entries from your aggregator, too.
- Blog about how you plan to keep up with the Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 tools.
- Recommend a way to keep up that you have found useful.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
T8 Mosaic
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php
Create a mosaic of my photos.
Enter the URLs of the images you want to use.
You can use a Flickr photo page URL (for example, http://www.flickr.com/photos/john/1234567/) or the URL to any other JPG, PNG, or GIF image on the internet. Or you can upload photos from your computer if you are signed in.
Create a mosaic of my photos.
Enter the URLs of the images you want to use.
You can use a Flickr photo page URL (for example, http://www.flickr.com/photos/john/1234567/) or the URL to any other JPG, PNG, or GIF image on the internet. Or you can upload photos from your computer if you are signed in.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thing 8. Share Your Creations
Blog Prompts
* What uses do these tools have for library or personal use?
* Was the tool you used easy to navigate and understand?
* Would you recommend it to others?
* Do you use other sharing tools for photos, documents, or other creations that you would recommend?
Challenge (optional)
1. Create one of each of the sharing types—slide show, photo montage, database, eFolio and then link the results and blog about your experience.
* What uses do these tools have for library or personal use?
* Was the tool you used easy to navigate and understand?
* Would you recommend it to others?
* Do you use other sharing tools for photos, documents, or other creations that you would recommend?
Challenge (optional)
1. Create one of each of the sharing types—slide show, photo montage, database, eFolio and then link the results and blog about your experience.
Monday, March 24, 2008
T8 Darwin online
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6064364.stm
- The complete works of one of history's greatest scientists, Charles Darwin, are being published online.
darwin-online.org.uk
http://www.slideshare.net/markwoolley/web-20-tools-in-your-classroom/
- The complete works of one of history's greatest scientists, Charles Darwin, are being published online.
darwin-online.org.uk
http://www.slideshare.net/markwoolley/web-20-tools-in-your-classroom/
Thing 7. Web 2.0 Communication Tools
- Describe how your library uses email. Has it improved productivity?
- Share your thoughts on online reference using some of the other Web 2.0 communication tools.
- Are you an active user of text messaging, IM, or other communication tools?
Which OPAL or MINITEX Web conference (Webinar) did you attend? How was it? What do you think of this communication tool? According to Tom Peters, Web conferencing is telephone conferencing on steroids. Anyone who's done it knows what an inefficient use of time telephone conferencing really is. Can drive ya nuts. I attended an online writing conference. I liked how I could do it from anywhere. I went to OH during the conference, but was able to participate even though I wasn't in MN. However, when I started, I didn't know how to do web conferencing, and that was a nuisance. It wasn't an intuitive thing. That's why doing the Things is so beneficial to us non-L2 types.
T4 Flickr
- How might you use Flickr in your library or media center?
- Do you use Flickr or another photo hosting service? Which one? How does it compare to Flickr?
- How do you feel about having your photos public (note that you can mark your Flickr photos private, too)--any concerns?
T5 Creating puzzles
Created puzzle using library picture at Big Huge Labs.
I wish they were real puzzles.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
T6
- Consider how you can use these tools in your library or media center.
T5 mashup
mashups
A mashup, for the unfamiliar, is a hybrid web application that uses data from an outside source to drive a web service. Mashups can be created using data culled from RSS feeds, public databases, or any open data source.
http://www.dapper.net/ - making mashups
Monday, March 10, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
T5
- How can you use any of these tools in your library and media center? Reading programs, posters promoting library events, librarian trading cards all come to mind as possibilities.
- What do you think of sharing photos online?
http://23thingsonastick.blogspot.com/2007/11/thing-7-more-flickr-fun_09.html
http://www.flickr.com/services/
http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/index.html
http://www.webmonkey.com/06/08/index4a.html
http://krazydad.com/colrpickr/
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/ Created puzzle using library picture.
http://metaatem.net/words/
http://splashr.com/
T4 and its Links
How might you use Flickr in your library or media center? Store
How might you use Flickr in your library or media center?
- Storage of library photos. Many libraries don't have, nor can they afford, their own server, which means they cannot back up photos. Flickr is an easy way to back up and store photos.
Do you use Flickr or another photo hosting service? Which one? How does it compare to Flickr? I tried both Flickr and Picasa and the latter is what I prefer. It's tied in automatically to my blog, I don't have to put my photos on their server, and it's easier to find them.
How do you feel about having your photos public (note that you can mark your Flickr photos private, too)--any concerns?
- I don't like private info or property to be public.
http://flickr.com/tour/
http://www.flickr.com/help/photos/?search=image+url#68
http://www.smugmug.com/
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?hl=en_US&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Flh%2Flogin%3Fcontinue%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fpicasaweb.google.com%252F&service=lh2&passive=true
http://www.indezine.com/mediamazine/2006/05/flickr-tutorials-series.html
http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=libraries
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41641
http://www.flickr.com/help/blogging/
http://flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/central/discuss/2730/
Challengs
http://blog.flickr.net/en/2007/12/05/edit-your-photos-on-flickr/
http://www.picnik.com/
How might you use Flickr in your library or media center?
- Storage of library photos. Many libraries don't have, nor can they afford, their own server, which means they cannot back up photos. Flickr is an easy way to back up and store photos.
Do you use Flickr or another photo hosting service? Which one? How does it compare to Flickr? I tried both Flickr and Picasa and the latter is what I prefer. It's tied in automatically to my blog, I don't have to put my photos on their server, and it's easier to find them.
How do you feel about having your photos public (note that you can mark your Flickr photos private, too)--any concerns?
- I don't like private info or property to be public.
http://flickr.com/tour/
http://www.flickr.com/help/photos/?search=image+url#68
http://www.smugmug.com/
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?hl=en_US&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Flh%2Flogin%3Fcontinue%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fpicasaweb.google.com%252F&service=lh2&passive=true
http://www.indezine.com/mediamazine/2006/05/flickr-tutorials-series.html
http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=libraries
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41641
http://www.flickr.com/help/blogging/
http://flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/central/discuss/2730/
Challengs
http://blog.flickr.net/en/2007/12/05/edit-your-photos-on-flickr/
http://www.picnik.com/
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