Ning Communities
WOW! What a great network of thinkers and doers. The Library 2.0 Ning Community is a very faceted one that I found to be very open and conversational. I created a profile and was happy to find others who I know from LIS 768. One of the aspects that I found very useful was the Groups that have Ning forums. There is a wide range of fun and practical groups that I could join. Exploring the Personality Type in the Library group, I thought about how often I have considered my own, as well as those whom I work with, for reasons behind why certain changes happen or don’t. I remember taking the Myers Briggs and finding out that I, as an INFJ, fit in the occupational personality for librarians. Is there more to an organization than the personalities behind it? There were many interesting proposed thoughts on this topic and I, as the introvert in this INFJ personality, am thinking that this just may be one of a few groups I should join.
IM IMing
What a neat experience! So, I decided to visit the link that Aimee gave to the LIS Wiki for Chat reference libraries and couldn’t decide which part of the world to IM. I decided to go with the Answers Now option: Live reference chat – 24/7 using international partners in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States. I found myself in New Zealand and explained my objective within the chat widow. Suddenly…Sam arrived! Sam: Hi Marlene – welcome to NZ! I’ll do my best to answer your questions – fire awaymarlene: First off, How long has your library been using IM and how have you promoted this Service?
Sam: Live Online has been going since 2003 and promotion is mainly inhouse through the website
marlene: Are there only certain hours devoted to IM questions? or is it a 24/7 service?Sam: The service is offered through the library’s opening hours: 9am to 9pm weekdays and 9am to 4pm at the weekends.marlene: Introducing IM to staff, was there much training or staff input involved? and do you feel it has been successful?Sam: Training is ongoing. There is one team responsible for the development and maintenance of the service
Sam: It could be more successful with wider promotion. Customers are delighted with the service usuallySam: http://library.christchurch.org.nz/LiveOnline/FindOutMore/
marlene: Have you noticed a difference in the types of questions asked in an IM session as opposed to an in-person or virtual reference session? Do you find that there are limitations with IM?
Sam: We get the full range of questions that are encountered in person or otherwise
Sam: online reference requires a thorough reference interview and maybe more questioning – no visual or aural clues
marlene: Well Sam, I thank you very much for your time and answers. This was one of my first IM experiences and it has been really interesting and exciting. Take care and I will definitely have to come visit your library in the future.
Sam: The software we use has limitations – there is a 5 step check process before computers can be connected and co-browsing enabled
Sam: Thanks for your interest and all the best with the library studies. Bye Marlene!marlene: It seems that everything has limitations…and then a completely new program is introduced. Thanks again. I hope it continues to be successful.
Overall, I found IM to be an enjoyable experience. However, as you can see, there are those time delays that can throw off a conversation, especially when one is not sure if the full answer has been stated. I also felt that because it is “instant” I should be brief and not engage in too many questions. I can see how IM is useful and pretty straightforward. After the session ended, I was given the option to both print the transcripts and/or have them e-mailed to my address. This too was a very accommodating feature, especially for this exercise. I would definitely promote this to the patrons at my library.
The Noble Dewey
Yes, I have to admit that I am somewhat of a Dewey fan. Why? I guess I was familiarized at an early age with Dewey and as long as I could sing the alphabet…doesn’t everybody do that while alphabetically searching?…I found it to be logical and orderly. When college struck my library searches, I found that I was a bit confused with the LC classifications. One course in cataloging did help but still, Dewey instructs me where to go.
Enter BISAC! (Book Industry Standards and Communications)
Not long ago I searched Barnes and Noble for travel guides for my trip to London. All I had to do was go to the travel section and find that BISAC was a purely topical, and easy, way of searching for my guides. But, how did I know that I was really seeing all that there was. Could I not go to another B&N and find more useful books, purely because they were in stock? I decided to search the Maricopa County Library (Perry Branch) on-line catalog to see how things looked in BISAC terms. I could see that doing a simple search for “Travel” (books) brought about 2879 matches. What was misleading was how few of these titles were actually available in the Perry Branch. This finding supports the aspect of how size and BISAC aren’t completely compatible for all libraries. Visiting the Gather No Dust blog, it was useful to see how things looked from their Perry Branch Library Tour page. I also appreciated that this blog touched upon “What works” and “What doesn’t work.”
I do believe that library branches can successfully please their patronage with a BISAC approach and atmosphere. Arizona is obviously in the fast lane for building branches. Could a large library support BISAC standards? Possibly with slow changes within newer collections, I’m thinking Graphic Novels and Teen materials. Would I feel that I am accessing all there really is available in my trip to a topical section? Probably not, especially if I’m in need of an in depth supply of research materials.
Another informative article I consulted about Dewey vs. BISAC in Maricopa was from The Wall Street Journal.
Blogging experiences
My first introduction to blogging came about as a result of being a big Smashing Pumpkins fan. I was captivated, and amused, by all of the threads that would report the whereabouts, sightings, guesses and endless rumours regarding the band in any capacity. I never had the gumption to participate though, as I felt that I did not want to become one of those “groupies.” Looking back, I really spent a good deal of time perusing SP related sites. It wasn’t until I attended a particular SP concert, one of many, at Metro that I was able to see how blogging can bring about a feeling of camaraderie and friendship.
It was a freezing cold day. It was a few hours before the SP show was set to begin and already there was a line of fans waiting to be the first rush in and take their place in front of the stage. As the time passed, I listened to some of the conversations that surrounded me. I would hear person after person saying to each other, “I’m so-n-so on the SP and Netphoria site” or “I remember you from such-n-such a thread…you posted the pictures from the Milwaukee show.” Undoubtedly, there would also be that person who would pace the line in question of whether or not the person who promised to sell them a ticket from the “One extra ticket!” posting would in fact deliver. Just from reading the blog postings I was able to assume whom certain people were, once I heard enough of their revealing details. I gathered that blogging brought this group of fans closer together.
When I began working towards my M.A. in Library Science, I was introduced to BlackBoard as a means of contributing to class discussions. At times these postings were in response to others postings, and at other times I would place my own limb of thoughts out there. As I would keep a watchful eye on the thread postings, it would seem as though most responses were placed out of course necessity. At times I would truly have an opinion, though I never felt that my opinions were extraordinary to anyone else’s. How many times have you read, “I agree with so-n-so…” on BlackBoard? There is no reason why it shouldn’t be different though. Why not respond with a story or thought that maybe isn’t directly pertinent but is inspired by what we’ve just read. I would like to believe that blogging could incorporate various degrees of intellect and information and inspire new perspectives.
As it stands, I still am mostly a blog reader, rather than a blog contributor. I guess there are those who feel the urge to spread their miscellaneous thoughts and knowledge and then there are those who would rather read their postings. I know that storytelling is a most valuable tool, which can bring about a variety of effects, whether historical, informative or just enjoyable. I appreciate factoids and worthy information which I can apply to my own knowledge. I am used to absorbing information from newspapers and magazines. I am not used to contributing my own 2 cents to the story. Blogging permits this though, and just maybe it is time for those, like myself, who at undervalue our own words to put them out there for all to read, consider and respond to, or not.
Richly informed
Working in circulation has provided me with many memorable experiences. I have been able to interract with every seeking patron who wanders in the library. The other day, a man about 40ish came in and I couldn’t help but notice his disheveled look. It was somewhat obvious that this man was carrying more than just the average daily load of belongings. In my opinion, he appeared to be under hard times. He soon disappeared into another area of the library. About a half hour later, he approached me at the desk with a demeanor that did not match his appearance. He spoke with much purpose and intellect. He asked me about the e-mail that he received from the library informing him that a document he requested was in. He was quick to retrieve the e-mail, before my eyes, on his hand-held device and ask if it was possible to see if another item that he had written down was available in the library. This man chose to then search the library opac on his own device. It was obvious that this piece of technology was a means of many possibilities for him. For me, it added new hope that L2.0 technologies can enable anyone and everyone to be more empowered and informed in their daily lives, no matter how rough the times are.
hello world
This is my new LIS 768 blog at Dominican University.
I would like to also promote Michael Stephens Web site at Tame the Web.
I currently work at the Skokie Public Library, where I keep things circulating. My goal is to become a Library 2.0 practice and promoter. Reference is a special interest for me. I hope to cross barriers into many areas within the library, as L2.0 crosses all boundaries when sparking interests.
Out of the library, music and cooking are my enjoyment and interests.
So, here I am and here I shall make one small leap into L2.0.
