Victoria's Blog

When I first signed up for this course, along with my other two classes, I was not sure what I was getting myself into. First, this was my initial experience with online classes, so I was interested to see how the class would be conducted. Secondly, I knew what this class was about but, I was not sure how we would be able to discuss web 2.0 applications for the entire semester without being redundant. I am happy to say that I did not find one of the classes or readings to be repetitive. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this class and I have absorbed a great deal of information from the online class time, the guest speakers and my fellow classmates. I learned more about the web 2.0 applications that I am already of member of like Facebook and MySpace. In addition, I learned about other tools that I had heard about but, never looked into like Second Life. Lastly, I was introduced to other programs such as Librarything and Stumble Upon, of which I had never heard of. This class definitely opened my eyes to the many applications available to us. Not only will the teachings help me during my library career but, they will be of good use in my everyday life as well. At times, posting the blogs did become difficult. I felt I was being very repetitive and redundant when it came to my posts. On the other hand, the blogs made me focus on the subject matter more than I would have if I did not have to post the blogs. Overall, I thought this class was great. I would recommend it to anyone. I am glad I was able to share in this experience with all of you. Enjoy the Winter break!

I was reading the New York Times this morning and came across an interesting article entitled, “France to Digitize Its Own Literary Works.” According author Scott Sayare (2009), French president Nicolas Sarkozy “pledged $1.1 billion on Monday toward the computer scanning of French literary works, audiovisual archives and historical documents” (para. 1). Apparently the French National Library had been in talks with Google over this project however, the negotiations fell through. The money President Sarkozy pledged will fund the project through a public-private partnership. Bruno Racine, the president of the National Library, “put the cost of digitizing the National Library’s collections, which include over 14 million books and several million other documents, at more than $1.5 billion” (para. 6). I think this is a wonderful project because it will bring different materials to those people who are not able to visit France and possibly see them in person. I feel this project can bring people together through a common interest. However, my biggest question is whether or not they will be keeping the print sources? As I previously discussed in one of my other blogs, I feel converting print sources into an electronic format is great. However, I believe there always needs to be a hard copy or a backup. It will be interesting to follow this project and see how it progresses.

Sayare. S. (2009, December 15). France to Digitize Its Own Literary Works. New York Times. Retrieved
            December 15, 2009 , from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/world/europe/15france.html
            ?_r=1&emc=eta1

I was reading one of Aaron’s blog posts earlier about a web 2.0 site that was directed towards the medical field. I found it interesting how more and more web 2.0 sites have been developed to accommodate different interests. I am a member of one of these sites and thought it would be interesting to share my experience with you. My boyfriend is currently serving in the U.S. Navy and when we first started dating, I wanted to find some sort of support group where I could talk to other people experiencing the same thing as I was. I searched through Google.com and came upon Navyformoms.com. Even though the site’s address implies it is only for mothers, this is definitely not the case. The site is for anyone who has a loved one in the U.S. Navy. The site’s format is similar to that of Facebook. I have my own page where I can post pictures and information about myself. I add “friends” and I am able to utilize the site’s instant messenger and message system. There are also hundreds of groups directed towards different types of loved ones. For example, I am in two groups. One is Girlfriends, Wives and Fiancées of Sailors and the other is NAS Mayport (or Naval Air Station Mayport), which is the base where my boyfriend is stationed. I feel being a part of this site has helped me greatly in adapting to being a part of a long-distance relationship. Just like any other web 2.0 site, there are privacy settings that can be utilized however; privacy and security are a big must on this site. OPSEC or operational security (for more information visit: http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=3342) is crucial and very important. When posting anything online about our significant others or family members we are not supposed to list any dates, times or locations of where our sailors might be going. We are not supposed to talk in detail about their commands or discuss in-depth information about their ships. Even at such a simple level, security and privacy have to be kept in mind. Like I previously stated, I just thought this would be interesting to post. I feel it is good to have sites such as these for all different types of interest or hobbies. It makes people feel included in a group, gives a sense of belonging or in my case, helps us get through situations with others who are experiencing the same thing.

For a good part of the time I worked at my current job, the employees were not allowed to access the internet. I work for an automobile and homeowner insurance carrier and we are allowed to utilize sites that are helpful to our job however, the sites have to be approved by upper management before you are allowed to have access. For example, since I deal with claims, I have access to Mapquest.com (for address lookup), as well as whitepages.com and yellowpages.com. However, like anything else in life when you are being restricted from using something, it makes you want to use it more. Recently, upper management has put full internet access back onto our computers. However, we are still only supposed to use the internet for work-related searches. Of course, this does not mean the desire to search the internet for other content that is not work-related has disappeared. I find this is a similar scenario when it comes to young children and web 2.0 applications. There are some elementary schools that are reluctant to introduce their students to web 2.0 applications like Twitter and Facebook because of the content the children will be exposed to. However, if I was a parent, I would rather my son or daughter’s school teach them how to properly utilize these tools instead of having my child explore them on their own. I feel barring access from these sites might only provoke children into using them. I do believe children should be allowed to utilize these applications but, with careful supervision and training. I feel if teachers portray these programs as bad, it will attract the students to them more. By incorporating these applications into a child’s life from when they are young, they will be able to notice the bad and separate it from the good. I feel we should try to embrace the changes in technology, especially when it comes to young children and teach them the proper way to utilize these advances. Protecting children from the web 2.0 world and the world of the internet will only prolong the inevitable, so why not start from when they are young?

Now that the holidays are approaching, I have noticed an increase in the amount of advertisements for Amazon’s Kindle. I have contemplated the idea of purchasing a Kindle however; I found I am the type of person who likes to have the actual book in her hands instead of an electronic device. Perhaps the Kindle is good for people on the go or with little space and it may be more convenient for them to have the Kindle instead of a massive amount of books. I feel the Kindle is just like any other product, it has its good and its bad. As I previously stated, the Kindle is a great space saver however, what happens if it malfunctions and you lose all your content? Personally, I do not think I would ever use the Kindle because I enjoy having the book itself. I feel like the Kindle makes the reading experience less personal. However, it is fair to say that books are not immune to the changes in society and therefore have to adapt and evolve with the times.

Today I came across an article in the New York Times that discussed the presence of viruses and other malicious content on web 2.0 applications. I posted the link to the article below. It really bothers me that whenever something good comes along, there are always others who have to ruin it. There always seems to be people who are looking for ways to take advantage of others for their own personal gain. It saddens me that these people have also made their way into applications such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Many of these people set up false advertisements and e-mails to lure people in and then hack into their accounts. I believe libraries need to pay careful attention to scenarios such as these when introducing web 2.0 applications into their branch. In addition, libraries and their staff need to inform users of the potential hazards that may await them in the web 2.0 world. We may not be able to rid ourselves of these people however, we can try to protect ourselves and our users as best we can.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/technology/internet/14virus.html?emc=eta1

Recently while I was surfing the internet for information on web 2.0 applications, I came across an interesting blog about the Bolivian elections. The blog was posted by a user named Rezwan on the site, Rising Voices: Helping the Global Population Join the Global Conversation. The title of the blog is “Voces Bolivianas: Bolivian Election 2.0.” The user describes how Bolivian citizens or “netizens” as he calls them, were using web 2.0 applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Youtube to voice their opinions about the election. I just always find it interesting when people use web 2.0 applications for more than keeping up with friends or posting status updates. I think it is great how people of the world are connecting through web 2.0 tools. The post itself was made by utilizing a blogging site. I feel it is important for us to remember the potential that web 2.0 applications have and how we can stay connected with the world by using them.

The blog can be located at: http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/blog/2009/12/06/voces-bolivianas-bolivian-election-2-0/

One would think the increase in web 2.0 application usage in society would have a similar effect on its usage in libraries. However, a study done by the Colorado State Library’s Library Research Service in 2008 showed that this was not the case. Zeth Lietzau (2009), who is the associate director at the Library Research Service described in his article, U.S. Public Libraries and Web 2.0: What’s Really Happening?, how “the only web technologies that more than half of the public libraries in the U.S. possessed were the three things that now seem as basic to library service as books-a web presence, an online catalog, and online access to a patron’s account” (8). Many of the branches did not have any other types of web 2.0 programs or, if they did, the account was not updated regularly. I believe it is important for additional studies to be conducted in order to determine why certain libraries utilize these resources more than others. Are the branches affected by budget cuts? Perhaps their patrons do not use web 2.0 applications, so the library does not feel they are warranted. Maybe there are other factors that are taken into consideration when a branch decides to utilize an application or to not incorporate it into its services. By further understanding these reasons, I feel we will be able to determine the best way to reach out to our patrons no matter what type of resource we may be using.

Lietzau, Z. (2009). U.S. Public Libraries and Web 2.0: What’s Really Happening? Computers in Libraries,
      37(3), 6-10.

In the article, Journey to Library 2.0: One Library Trains Staff on the Social Tools Users Employ, Robin Hastings describes how the Missouri River Regional Library used web 2.0 tools to teach its employees how to use the very same tools and how to use other technologies that their patrons were using. Hastings and another librarian, Bobbi Newman, took an already established instruction plan and catered it to their employee’s needs. Participants would “have 16 weeks to complete the 29 tasks, which were broken down into 11 weekly sessions” (Hastings, 2007, para. 5). Numerous applications were utilized in this program including, “…MySpace and social networking as well as new search engines, some of which employ tagging and other Web 2.0 concepts to improve the results they return” (Hastings, 2007, para. 3). I found it interesting how Hastings and Newman realized the importance of incorporating web 2.0 applications at their library and how efficient their program was. Not only did it catch the attention of their employees but, many were eager to continue the learning process after the course was complete. Hastings (2007) states, “staff would like to get to know Flickr better now that they are familiar with what the photo-sharing application does” (para. 16). This shows that the employees were not participating in the course to appease their superiors. Instead, they choose to partake in the lessons because they wanted to educate themselves for their own good and for the good of their patrons. I believe one of the keys to the success of this program probably had to be Hastings and Newman’s enthusiasm in regards to   the subject matter. I know if I am taking a course and the instructor is not into the material at all and is just regurgitating the information to us, then I will not show much interest it in either. However, if the professor is fully into what they are teaching, I mimic their fervor and become interested into the subject matter at hand, even if I do not particularly enjoy the topic.  Employees and students alike look to their superiors for guidance and if they see the instructors are just going through the motions, then they will do the same. Also, giving some sort of prize or incentive never hurt either. As Hastings (2007) described, “we also offered as an incentive an MP3 player to each staff member who completed the program within the 16 weeks and wrote 150 words per week” (para.  5). I do believe when incentives are coupled with eagerness when teaching a subject, this greatly motivates the learners to succeed.

Hastings, R. (2007). Journey to Library 2.0: One Library Trains Staff on the Social Tools Users Employ. Library  
      Journal, Vol. 132, p. 36-37.

Web 2.0 applications are not only beneficial for libraries and their patrons; they can also be useful for high school and college students. For example, when doing a research project, students can utilize Delicious to bookmark websites that will are essential for their work. However, Delicious is not limited to just the bookmarking of sites. Students can share websites with other students, their teachers or perhaps the local public librarian. This is helpful because if the public librarian sees the sites students are bookmarking, he or she will be able to put aside the books in the library that may be useful to students.  Teachers can also have students set up Twitter accounts to help them in their research. Since Twitter allows its users to only “tweet” up to 140 characters, this will force students to learn how to be more concise and to the point. It will also allow for other students, teachers and librarians to help students with their topic. For example, a student may know what topic they want to do their research paper on however, it might be too general for the assignment. This is where other users can aid the student in narrowing their topic to something that is more sufficient for the task. If students are given an ample amount of time to complete their research paper, they may find it helpful to sign up to a RSS feed. By subscribing to this sort of web 2.0 tool, students will be able to include recent information and they will not have to go looking for it. Since RSS feeds bring the information to the user, it will help students if they are under a time-constraint or it will free up their time so they can search for more information in other areas. Databases are also another major source that students can utilize when it comes to research papers. I feel that many students may overlook the use of databases because they are not actual print books. I believe many people do not realize how useful databases can be. When I was growing up, I only used print books and encyclopedias to do my research. However, once I started high school and college, I was introduced to databases. I feel the internet is such a big part of our lives, that many children are probably introduced to databases earlier than I was. I believe this is important because a great deal of information can be found using databases and students definitely need to be educated on their value. Overall, I feel web 2.0 applications can be a great resource for students. However, I also believe when educating their students about these programs, they also need to explain that web 2.0 applications should not replace basic research. Web 2.0 applications should be used in addition to print books, not as a substitute.