I guess my main feeling right now is joy that I managed to finish this. I was certain for some time that I would not.
The exciting thing is seeing just how many new resources libraries have to provide information to the public. The Web 2.0 is dissolving the boundaries between them and us. (Whomever them and us happen to be. It's a fill in the blank sentence.) It's bringing knowledge down from the mount and delivering it to the people. Web 2.0 has done more for information sharing since the creation of the printing press. Is this stuff epic, or what!!!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Utube
I watched every library video on Utube. Although most of them were favorable toward libraries and information staff, the ones that impressed me the most were those that portrayed the library as a foreboding place. Unfortunately, we are all familiar with the images of libraries as an ivy tower where knowledge is confined to a holy few who bestow it only to those who return books on time and in better condition than when they checked them out. So often libraries perpetuate this image by taking the gathering of information out of the hands of the individuals and making it the responsibility of the professionals. (Whose names protocol does not permit us to know.) To the average person, information collection must appear in the least frightening enough to require an MLS to manage it. Then many libraries lock away the more valuable resources and those seeking them must go through the proper channels first. This is intimidating and many people won't bother.
One music video featured a pair of spooky librarians that lured a disrespectful patron into the pit of library hell and trapped him there. (I suppose this is an area just beyond the reference book section. Once captured, they probably release the copy of Lady Chatterly's Lover normally hidden under the reference desk and it lays in wait to take a bite out of the guy. All right, I made it up. Was it funny to only my tiny mind?)
Nonetheless, the image instilled in the minds of the general public of a library as a useful place with easy access is uncommon. Libraries as places filled with tight rows of shelves towering well over the head and stuffed full of old, dusty(if not mysterious) books is too easily equated with the haunted house. Information staff are the specters watching their victims from a superior reference roost. They are viewed as evasive, judgmental, in possession of dangerous mystical information which they are not frightened to use against the innocent!!!!!! Ahhhhh!
One help is for Web 2.0 to make fun of these fears. True these are exaggeration, but it still illuminates the true idea that lies beneath. Web 2.0 is making information sharing easier and more humane. It's bringing information to the masses. (If they start calling it the new religion then I think I'll puke! - or at least light a candle.) Nevertheless, Let's hope we've gone a long way to dispelling the image of the library mystical place the other worldly forces are at work. Otherwise, all my future sabbath meetings are certain to be ruined.
One music video featured a pair of spooky librarians that lured a disrespectful patron into the pit of library hell and trapped him there. (I suppose this is an area just beyond the reference book section. Once captured, they probably release the copy of Lady Chatterly's Lover normally hidden under the reference desk and it lays in wait to take a bite out of the guy. All right, I made it up. Was it funny to only my tiny mind?)
Nonetheless, the image instilled in the minds of the general public of a library as a useful place with easy access is uncommon. Libraries as places filled with tight rows of shelves towering well over the head and stuffed full of old, dusty(if not mysterious) books is too easily equated with the haunted house. Information staff are the specters watching their victims from a superior reference roost. They are viewed as evasive, judgmental, in possession of dangerous mystical information which they are not frightened to use against the innocent!!!!!! Ahhhhh!
One help is for Web 2.0 to make fun of these fears. True these are exaggeration, but it still illuminates the true idea that lies beneath. Web 2.0 is making information sharing easier and more humane. It's bringing information to the masses. (If they start calling it the new religion then I think I'll puke! - or at least light a candle.) Nevertheless, Let's hope we've gone a long way to dispelling the image of the library mystical place the other worldly forces are at work. Otherwise, all my future sabbath meetings are certain to be ruined.
Wiki
Didn't they used to call these bulletin boards? I suppose a Wiki is an advanced bulletin board. I like being able to chat about books and their authors. I added a few words about my most recent reads to Learning 2.0 Sandbox wiki.
2.0 and the Future of Libraries
I suppose I've read too much science-fiction, so instead of feeling impressed by the 2.0 presentation I found myself wondering when we were finally going to catch up to the future. 2.0 is unquestionably a big step from the days of the first desk top PCs', yet, its only an infant of a far greater idea. At least its on the way.
As the original Star Trek inspired all sorts of new technology, I can see how libraries are key to plugging in the future by providing access to not only new developments, but to the ideas and their authors.
As the original Star Trek inspired all sorts of new technology, I can see how libraries are key to plugging in the future by providing access to not only new developments, but to the ideas and their authors.
Various Obserations
Took a look at librarything.com, spent a little time with rollyo.com and finally ended up at del.icio.us. Just fiddling around at del.icio.us I stumbled upon naked.la/light which was an image development sight, which instead of altering an original image, added layers with the modifications. I worked in graphic arts for a time and a sight like that would prove useful.
My Own Avatar
I must say that my final result Avatar looked more like I did a few years ago, but only if I had been addicted to plastic surgery. The pointed chin and big eyes made me cuter than ET. (For you kids out there, that was the adorable, but over-sized extra terrestrial who used the first ever cell phone to call home.)
The clothing choices hung on the slender body, except over the breasts, where they were slightly too tight. At least the color scheme was groovy. Not an ounce of baby fat on this babe. Laura Croft eat your heart out!
Once I had the coolest hair style, the bestest face and the rad clothes, I was ready to save the marauder-babe. That was were it all went wrong. For some reason avatars.yahoo wouldn't save. It was late, so I decided that I didn't care and logged out. Oh well, it was just a dream anyway.
The clothing choices hung on the slender body, except over the breasts, where they were slightly too tight. At least the color scheme was groovy. Not an ounce of baby fat on this babe. Laura Croft eat your heart out!
Once I had the coolest hair style, the bestest face and the rad clothes, I was ready to save the marauder-babe. That was were it all went wrong. For some reason avatars.yahoo wouldn't save. It was late, so I decided that I didn't care and logged out. Oh well, it was just a dream anyway.
RSS Feeds
I had a training course at one point on RSS feeds. At that time, I set up a feed to my own computer from the library of any new DVDs. I was amazed to discover just how many new titles the library received each and every week!!!!! Amazing.
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