Towards the end of the reading, Johnson made a comment that saved this entire book for me - "moderation in everything." Yes, video games and television are good for you - they encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills, but sitting in front of them for too long can lead to behavior problems and weight problems (I've seen it happen).
Anyway, what does this mean for libraries and schools? Integration of technology. I'm lucky to work in a school where technology is embraced - students are in the computer lab for at least a half hour each week, plus there are two mobile laptop labs, along with digital still and video cameras, and all kinds of educational software available for teacher and student use. Technology isn't seamlessly integrated yet - some teachers are using their SmartBoards solely as projection screens, not interactive learning tools - but integration will come with education. Teachers and librarians need to be educated in how to best harness educational technology to benefit their students and patrons.
Showing posts with label libraries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label libraries. Show all posts
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Which console for me?
If I were in charge of buying a gaming system for my library... well, first of that, I doubt that'd ever happen, because I work in a public school library, and we barely have enough time for computers and library instruction, let alone time to play video games. However, if I was to buy a video game system for a library...
First, I'd take into consideration the capabilities and limitations of various systems. I know from personal experience that the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii can wirelessly connect to other global users, and all three systems use wireless controllers. The Xbox and Wii allow up to 4 controllers to be connected at a time, while the PS3 allows up to 7 controllers to be connected via Bluetooth technology.
Armed with this background knowledge and the experience of having played on all three systems, I'd first look for other libraries who have a gaming program, to get their input on the program. Next, I'd look for reviews of the systems, either from CNET or Consumer Reports. I'd also look into expandability (extra controllers, extra memory, the library's own internet connectivity) and cost (the system itself, games, extra controllers, possibly upgrading to wireless internet).
Finally, I'd make my choice. I'd go with the Wii. I've played on all three systems, and the Wii is the most fun. It's "Mii" feature is a fun way for users to identify themselves on the system, and the family-friendly nature of many of the games is appealing to a broad audience. On the negative side, the Wii can be somewhat dangerous (my boyfriend put a hole in his friend's basement ceiling while playing Wii baseball), so I'd definitely utilize a "referee" while the system is in use. Otherwise, the Wii has broad appeal and is easy to use. I'd recommend it.
First, I'd take into consideration the capabilities and limitations of various systems. I know from personal experience that the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii can wirelessly connect to other global users, and all three systems use wireless controllers. The Xbox and Wii allow up to 4 controllers to be connected at a time, while the PS3 allows up to 7 controllers to be connected via Bluetooth technology.
Armed with this background knowledge and the experience of having played on all three systems, I'd first look for other libraries who have a gaming program, to get their input on the program. Next, I'd look for reviews of the systems, either from CNET or Consumer Reports. I'd also look into expandability (extra controllers, extra memory, the library's own internet connectivity) and cost (the system itself, games, extra controllers, possibly upgrading to wireless internet).
Finally, I'd make my choice. I'd go with the Wii. I've played on all three systems, and the Wii is the most fun. It's "Mii" feature is a fun way for users to identify themselves on the system, and the family-friendly nature of many of the games is appealing to a broad audience. On the negative side, the Wii can be somewhat dangerous (my boyfriend put a hole in his friend's basement ceiling while playing Wii baseball), so I'd definitely utilize a "referee" while the system is in use. Otherwise, the Wii has broad appeal and is easy to use. I'd recommend it.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Can librarians utilize the Long Tail?
Short answer: sort of.
Long answer: I think the only way librarians can effectively utilize the Long Tail effect is by guiding patrons to the Long Tail by the power of suggestion. As I mentioned in an earlier post, librarians hold some power as "new tastemakers." If a patron is looking for a "hit" that's unavailable, the librarian can guide the patron to a "nonhit" that's similar, but part of the Long Tail, rather than the mainstream.
I do this all the time in my work. Kids will ask me for the latest, greatest book, and if it's not in, I try to guide them to something similar but less popular. I'm sure that I say "if you like [book x], then you might like [book y]" a dozen times a day. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's important to me that I at least introduce the students to a new book or series.
Long answer: I think the only way librarians can effectively utilize the Long Tail effect is by guiding patrons to the Long Tail by the power of suggestion. As I mentioned in an earlier post, librarians hold some power as "new tastemakers." If a patron is looking for a "hit" that's unavailable, the librarian can guide the patron to a "nonhit" that's similar, but part of the Long Tail, rather than the mainstream.
I do this all the time in my work. Kids will ask me for the latest, greatest book, and if it's not in, I try to guide them to something similar but less popular. I'm sure that I say "if you like [book x], then you might like [book y]" a dozen times a day. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's important to me that I at least introduce the students to a new book or series.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Anderson reading 2
So, Anderson defines three forces of the long tail:
Even though librari* influence is over books, they can still have some play in the first force, as "new producers." Librari* can use web services, such as blogs and emails, to advertise books. Anderson discussed a new "exposure culture," where being found is the end-all. Librari* can use blogs to advertise new books and programs, and expose themselves to new users.
The second force, the new markets, really isn't relevant to libraries. The new market is online and available 24/7, worldwide, to anyone with an internet connection. Libraries are open 8-10 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, and are limited to the physical space which contains them. A library's physical market confines it to whatever the library physically holds, plus the holdings of associated libraries. There are a finite number of items and a finite number of people who can use those items at a given time. A pure digital market, such as iTunes, carries millions of holdings, and because they are stored digitally, can be accessed many times by many people.
Personal anecdote time: the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series is extremely popular in my K-5 library. We have 4 or 5 copies of the first (red) book, and 7 of the 2nd (blue) book. They flew off the shelves once school opened, and have been continually on hold ever since. Kids are extremely disappointed when they can't have one of the books right away, and some have said that they'll just have their parents buy it, so they can have it right away. The library cannot compete with Barnes & Noble, where dozens of copies are available at a moment's notice. Even though we physically advertise the book (force 1) and personally discuss it (force 3), we have a finite number of copies for a finite number of users. Simply said, we are an old market.
- New producers - Democratized production - populates the Tail
- New markets - Democratized distribution - makes content freely/widely available
- New tastemakers - Amplified word of mouth - connects consumers to products, the "new" supply and demand
Even though librari* influence is over books, they can still have some play in the first force, as "new producers." Librari* can use web services, such as blogs and emails, to advertise books. Anderson discussed a new "exposure culture," where being found is the end-all. Librari* can use blogs to advertise new books and programs, and expose themselves to new users.
The second force, the new markets, really isn't relevant to libraries. The new market is online and available 24/7, worldwide, to anyone with an internet connection. Libraries are open 8-10 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, and are limited to the physical space which contains them. A library's physical market confines it to whatever the library physically holds, plus the holdings of associated libraries. There are a finite number of items and a finite number of people who can use those items at a given time. A pure digital market, such as iTunes, carries millions of holdings, and because they are stored digitally, can be accessed many times by many people.
Personal anecdote time: the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series is extremely popular in my K-5 library. We have 4 or 5 copies of the first (red) book, and 7 of the 2nd (blue) book. They flew off the shelves once school opened, and have been continually on hold ever since. Kids are extremely disappointed when they can't have one of the books right away, and some have said that they'll just have their parents buy it, so they can have it right away. The library cannot compete with Barnes & Noble, where dozens of copies are available at a moment's notice. Even though we physically advertise the book (force 1) and personally discuss it (force 3), we have a finite number of copies for a finite number of users. Simply said, we are an old market.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Library2.0
Found this link on Fark:
Check it out: libraries now happening places
Discusses how libraries in Arizona are catering to teens and the modern public by opening cafes, holding Guitar Hero parties, and generally not shushing people.
Check it out: libraries now happening places
Discusses how libraries in Arizona are catering to teens and the modern public by opening cafes, holding Guitar Hero parties, and generally not shushing people.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Anderson reading
So, will the library world benefit from the Long Tail effect?
I don't think so. The Long Tail is all about the niche market. Anderson refers to the internet as the "ultimate discovery tool," (p. 37) and the Long Tail is about using the internet to find the myriad non-hits. He discusses how online retailers like amazon.com have eradicated brick and mortar stores by offering a no-boundaries online shop. Online stores are global; they are unfettered by things like walls and location.
Libraries, unfortunately, are limited by walls and location. My local library is four miles from my house. However, via the public library system, I can borrow from any of the 38 libraries in Morris County. There are still walls on those libraries. Borders.com, on the other hand, doesn't have walls. If I can't find a book at my local library, or any of the other 37 libraries in Morris County, you bet I'm going to find it online. Because libraries are only able to hold so many books, I think that as the niches get narrower and the tail gets longer, libraries won't be able to supply the demand.
I don't think so. The Long Tail is all about the niche market. Anderson refers to the internet as the "ultimate discovery tool," (p. 37) and the Long Tail is about using the internet to find the myriad non-hits. He discusses how online retailers like amazon.com have eradicated brick and mortar stores by offering a no-boundaries online shop. Online stores are global; they are unfettered by things like walls and location.
Libraries, unfortunately, are limited by walls and location. My local library is four miles from my house. However, via the public library system, I can borrow from any of the 38 libraries in Morris County. There are still walls on those libraries. Borders.com, on the other hand, doesn't have walls. If I can't find a book at my local library, or any of the other 37 libraries in Morris County, you bet I'm going to find it online. Because libraries are only able to hold so many books, I think that as the niches get narrower and the tail gets longer, libraries won't be able to supply the demand.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Brown & Duguid, as related to librarians
Brown & Duguid make some interesting points on technology and it's antisocial tendencies. They believe that technology is so driven to bring people together that it drives them apart, as shown in their discussion of the Chiat/Day "hot desking" experiement. While hot desking, the concept of working from wherever there's an internet connection, looked good on paper, it failed miserably in real life. The experiement showed that people need to work together physically as well as digitally to get stuff done. They also discussed how technology is evolving so rapidly that people are expected to conform to it, not the other way around. Technology must be harnessed and used in such a way that it both enhances and expedites office work. Too often, so much time and money is spent to learn or fix technology that it eventually becomes a money pit - a money pit that nobody wants to admit to seeing, but into which everyone will fall.
Libraries and librarians are often afraid of new technologies. They worry that users won't accept them, that technologies will be too expensive or cumbersome to use, or that "the old way works, so why change." Libraries fall into what Brown & Duguid call the "social periphery," a group of organizations that shape the way we live and work. Unfortunately, the social periphery has been cast aside as the digital revolution tunnels forwards, so the social periphery must fight to be included. Libraries must fight to stay relevant, and they must do that by not only embracing, but harnessing new technologies to their best use.
Obviously, not every little piece of new technology will work in a library, but libraries can model the appropriate use of technology, and in turn, the patrons will adapt to it and the library will remain relevant. It's similar to Brown & Duguid's discussion of Bell and his telephone. He figured that if the telephone was put into the hands of the people, they'd figure out how to use it. Give people the opportunity to see firsthand the technology in action, and they will respond. Libraries can do the same with new technologies. They can offer a "virtual reference" service via email or chat. If one patron has a successful experience using it, that patron will tell a friend, who will in turn tell a friend, and eventually patrons will see virtual reference as a standard practice. As users change and adapt to new technologies, so must libraries. They can maintain a physical presence with a brick-and-mortar building, but it is necessary for libraries to develop and maintain a virtual presence online.
Libraries and librarians are often afraid of new technologies. They worry that users won't accept them, that technologies will be too expensive or cumbersome to use, or that "the old way works, so why change." Libraries fall into what Brown & Duguid call the "social periphery," a group of organizations that shape the way we live and work. Unfortunately, the social periphery has been cast aside as the digital revolution tunnels forwards, so the social periphery must fight to be included. Libraries must fight to stay relevant, and they must do that by not only embracing, but harnessing new technologies to their best use.
Obviously, not every little piece of new technology will work in a library, but libraries can model the appropriate use of technology, and in turn, the patrons will adapt to it and the library will remain relevant. It's similar to Brown & Duguid's discussion of Bell and his telephone. He figured that if the telephone was put into the hands of the people, they'd figure out how to use it. Give people the opportunity to see firsthand the technology in action, and they will respond. Libraries can do the same with new technologies. They can offer a "virtual reference" service via email or chat. If one patron has a successful experience using it, that patron will tell a friend, who will in turn tell a friend, and eventually patrons will see virtual reference as a standard practice. As users change and adapt to new technologies, so must libraries. They can maintain a physical presence with a brick-and-mortar building, but it is necessary for libraries to develop and maintain a virtual presence online.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Admirable library blog
I found the Marin County Free Library's blog to be a notable library blog. It has a lot of great features, but a few minor annoyances. Marin County is located in California, north of San Francisco.
The good:
The good:
- Comprehensive information about a variety of programs and activities. Over the course of a few weeks, there are postings about a "henna party" for teens, a puppet show for children, and a poetry reading for adults. A few posts are in-house plugs for library cards, and an FAQ site, but most of the posts are about events happening in the various county libraries. Many of the summer posts were about teen activities. Assuming that many of the library's teenage patrons use the internet and are familiar with the blog, this is a great way to advertise. There is a teen page, part of the library's website, but it isn't as up-to-date as the blog.
- User-friendliness. The blog is easy to read, with muted colors and a basic font. A column on the right displays links to other parts of the library's website, along with direct links to recent posts and archives. It isn't intended for one specific age group; rather, it appeals to all ages.
- Frequency of posts. New posts appear several times a week, and the blog is archived monthly to October 2003. The posts are all substantial and feature pictures and comprehensible information about various activities.
- Chat? There is a link to "Ask a Librarian," which eventually leads to a site called Ask Now. Essentially, the user's question may be answered by any librarian, anywhere in the U.S. Great for providing 24-hour service, but not so great if a user has a question that is specific to the Marin County Library. Additionally, the chat interface requires that you give your name and town (and requests your email, local library branch and zip code), and looks more like a web-based email form than an actual chat window. Once you get in the chat, it looks more like a regular chat screen, but it's full screen and can't be minimized.
- Internal navigation. Most blogs have links at the bottom which take you to older or newer posts - this one doesn't. Instead, you must navigate to older posts using the Archives links. The heading picture is static, unlike many websites which use the logo or header as a link back to the main page. To internally navigate from an archive page to the main page, you have to use the browser's back button. Also, posts aren't tagged, and there is no search feature on the blog, making it difficult to search for a specific post.
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