Author: dwakimoto

Tech Fun for Everyone

/ dwakimoto

One of the things I like most about the continuing advancement of technology, especially collaborative, online technologies, is that it is getting easier to use these technologies. It used to be if you wanted to create a professional looking website you needed to know a lot of HTML and preferably CSS, etc. Or you needed to have money to hire a professional web designer.

Now, if you want to have a website or a blog, you have many drag-and-drop and WYSIWYG options to choose from to build your own online presence. Now, this is not to say we no longer need skilled web designers, information architects and graphic artists–of course we do! But to have a functional, simple, website is now within the reach of way more of the Internet surfing public. And to me, that is a good thing.

This is basically just a very long-winded way of saying, “Yay! Look at some more cool online stuff I have been playing with and want to share with you.”

First up is LucidChart: an online, collaborative flowchart application. You can make beautiful flowcharts all via drag-and-drop! I think this is so cool. No more wasting time in Word or other programs that can’t make a decent flowchart. You can use LucidChart instead. I might just have to make a flowchart to use in class because of this application.

Of course, that still doesn’t solve the problem of getting people to read flowcharts as evidenced by xkcd comic, “Flow Charts”:

 

Flow Charts comic from xkcd

Flow Charts comic from xkcd

It just can’t be a Friday without sharing an awesome post by Lifehacker; this one is about Self-education. Yes, more self-improvement for the new year. And yes, it includes watching YouTube videos! Now there is no excuse for not learning something when you are staring at your computer screen day after day, for hours on end.

And, finally, here is Michael Stephens’ Ten Trends & Technologies for 2009. A very interesting read about technology and the library. I’m really interested in learning and applying more of the mobile technology applications to the library. I mean, if people are going to insist on being tied to a cellphone or BlackBerry all day, they might as well get optimized library websites and catalogs on there too. (Full disclosure: the one technology I personally am not thrilled with is the cellphone, except for texting, I really like text messages. I just don’t like people calling me all the time; that’s what texts and Twitter are for! I mean, who really needs to know that you are standing in line at the supermarket? Not me.)

But, back to the post, the most exciting bit, to me, is the emphasis on making the library a collaborative space, a learning commons space, The Commons for the campus or community. I think that is how it should be and how it needs to be for libraries to remain vital and vibrant.

Happy Friday, enjoy the weekend!

Reading and Audience Development Officers

/ dwakimoto / 2 Comments

I really enjoy being a librarian. I like teaching and doing reference work, playing with new online tools to see how I could apply them in the library and working with my colleagues. But sometimes I just sit back and scratch my head, because I just don’t get some of the things people do thinking it will better the library. 

Take this example about Edinburgh rebranding the librarians as Audience Development Officers. Okay, I am so missing why this is a good move. Yes, I understand that librarians do a lot more than people think we do and are reaching out to the community, in person and online, in multiple new ways, but audience development officers? To me this either sounds like the librarians are going to now be liaisons with the branch of the police force that deals with teenagers or they will become the opening act, like at a rock concert, and try to get the crowd moshing before the real show starts.

Branding good; audience development officers bad. I just don’t get why everyone keeps apologizing for being a librarian all the time. Librarians rock. Period. We don’t need a name change, but we might need some better marketing. What do you think?

In much better news, (because you knew I couldn’t bear to have a post without good news), people are apparently reading more fiction. That is a good thing. At this point, I don’t care if it is just a statistical blip or not, it is good news! But the gains are small and there is much room for improvement. So let’s get more people reading even if this article says there is nothing we can do to get more people reading.

If nothing else, read the two above articles to see just how different two takes on the same data can be. Very interesting, definitely a talking about about statistics, reading and librarians. And, just an aside, 100 books read in a year is a good number of books; that’s almost two a week. I think now I’m going to have to try to keep track of every book I read for a year and see how many I read. All I know is, it’s not as many as I want to read.

Final thoughts for this Wednesday: if you are a librarian, be proud of being a librarian and keep working to keep libraries relevant to your community. For everyone, keep reading. Reading is not an antisocial activity (I mean, way to put a negative spin on reading, right?); reading is a thoughtful activity that can be shared via reading to each other or afterwards by sharing how a book expanded your mind.

Have a great rest of your day!

Reading, OCLC, and Gadgets

/ dwakimoto

Happy Monday! It is bright and sunny in the Bay Area and I am feeling very guilty about enjoying the day because it should be raining. Unlike other parts of the country, we really need it to rain here.

But enough about the weather, you are here for the techie and library related goodies! And I have some fun and some disturbing information to relay to you today.

I thought we better get the bad and disturbing information out of the way first: check out this analysis of the new OCLC policy. It sounds like member libraries could be negatively impacted by this new policy. I want to read the entire policy before adding to much to this discussion, but I think everyone should be aware of this coming change.

On to less disturbing news: online reading versus book reading–what is better? There is a lot of debate surrounding this question, especially as more and more of the information and services offered to students and patrons moves online. Check out a summary of research done on this very issue that says that there may be negatives to reading and learning online. I know this is a huge debate and there isn’t nearly enough research to say definitively whether online and print reading are equivalent in terms of cognition and comprehension levels. But I think it is a good idea to keep up on the research and discussion surrounding reading and learning as we spend resources and time on ebooks, online instruction and services.

Online reading works for me in small doses and for short periods of time, but I would never want to read the complete works of Foucault online. What do you think?

Now for the fun: you might have thought we were done with lists because, after all, it is January 12th, but no! Here is a list I just had to pass along: New Year’s Resolutions for Readers. I love this list; I find it inspiring and encouraging and will use it as a reason for my indulgence of reading more this year. So go forth and read; then let me know what books you liked–I’m always interested in what other people are reading.

Lastly, I couldn’t have another post without talking about some technology. Here is Wired’s list of 12 Good Gadgets for Hard Times. It is a thought-provoking list (as shown by the massive amounts of comments on the article, some of which are entertaining and others of which are not very nice). I think it is always interesting to see what someone else thinks are the go to gadgets. I have to say, after living in South America, I’ve got to agree with the hand-crank radio, multi-tool and some kind of water filtration unit. A solar powered or hand-crank laptop would be icing on the cake. Remember, don’t let technology rule your life or your work, make it be a tool that works for you.

Have a great rest of your Monday, see you again later this week!

Getting More Done

/ dwakimoto

It is a new year and that means time, of course, for new year’s resolutions. Everyone always has great, glorious, and huge plans starting on Jan. 1. (At least, I usually do.) This year, however, I suggest taking a different approach and trying to do small things that will lead to goals you can actually achieve and are slightly less arduous than running a marathon, or writing a best-selling novel. (Full disclosure: running a marathon and writing a best-selling novel have ever been on my resolutions list).

So, of course, faithful reader, I have a couple of articles that should help you on your way towards accomplishing more, stressing less, and managing to make 24 hours in a day really seem like enough time to get everything that is important done.

First we have this great article on the art of radical exclusion. Now this is going to be very, very difficult for those of us who are people pleasers and volunteers of the world. You know who you are. But just read the article and think to yourself, what is more important: saying yes to everything that everyone ever asks of you or having your sanity at the end of the day. For those who feel stretched too thin, take heart and try the art of radical exclusion.

On the other hand, those of you who never volunteer, make it your resolution to help out those who do volunteer. Volunteering can be great and lifting your own weight in work, and in life, is always appreciated.

This next article I find really, really interesting. It discusses Gladwell’s book, Outliers, which postulates that social forces are incredibly important in shaping individuals that accomplish great things. But what I find really interesting is Brooks’ argument that individuals who actually accomplish the most are those who are fantastic at controlling their attention. I think this makes complete sense, especially relevant in our hyperlinked, 24/7 world. People who are okay with tuning out email, IM, twitter and other interruptions do get more done. Maybe we won’t all become the next Bill Gates by controlling our attention, but we will get more done.

I know that when I turn off the email, I get tons more accomplished in a day. A few months ago I tried an experiment where I only opened my email account at 4 specified times during the day. At first I was afraid that I would miss important messages, but after a couple of days I found that not only did I get more work done, I didn’t miss any messages that were totally crucial to my work or life. I fell off this bandwagon during the last couple of weeks of the year and am trying to reinstate this in my life as being tied to the computer and Internet all day is a recipe for complete distraction.

So all I’m really saying in this post is: stop multi-tasking and trying to do it all! You can’t do it all. There are only 24 hours in a day and you don’t have a time-turner (if you don’t get what I just said, I suggest reading Harry Potter). Focus your energy and you’ll be able to achieve a state of flow more readily and get more accomplished while being less stressed. All in all a great recipe for not only becoming healthier in the new year (stress really is a killer) but also being a better person to others as you will be less stressed–everyone likes people who are calm, not stressed.

Happy Friday, good luck on controlling your attention and let me know your tips for getting more done and being less stressed.

A Happy New Year of Books, Self-Improvement and Education!

/ dwakimoto

Happy New Year! Well, The Waki Librarian is back after a lovely holiday break. I hope you had a great holiday break as well.

For 2009 first post, I have for your reading pleasure articles about Self-Development/Improvement, thoughts on undergraduate education, and reasons for buying books! So let’s dive in for more fun in the waki world of libraries, education and technology!

First off, here is another great, slightly old (sorry, I just have so much I want to share but limited time to share it in!), article from Lifehacker on Self-Development because this might help you with some of your New Year’s Resolutions! These are really simple tips, like watching a TED talk and writing thank you notes, which will not only improve your brain but can make others feel better too. And that is a great situation. I’d also add that learning new things should always be on a list of self-development tips and can easily be accomplished in small chunks so you don’t become overwhelmed and give up on your resolution of self-development. Hopefully this year, The Waki Librarian blog will help you implement technology that helps you and your organization without overwhelming you!

The New York Times has this great article on why an undergraduate degree should not be a job qualification. I think this is a very well-written opinion editorial and it brings up a point no one ever wants to talk about: the fact that college isn’t for everyone. Everyone should have the opportunity to further their education, but that doesn’t, and shouldn’t, necessarily mean a 4-year liberal arts degree. By pushing college and the bachelor degree on everyone, I completely agree with Murray that students are coming to campuses across the country who do not really want to be there. And I think it is hurting everyone, the students who want the bachelor degree, those who don’t, the instructors and society. I think Murray’s suggestion of a more holistic view of job qualifications and certifications is a very valid one. I think it is time that we do something about this crucial matter.

Finally, a post about the joys of buying books. Don’t forget to read the comments which are fantastic. I love the per hour rate comparison of buying books to other indulgences. I love it when people talk about books and I like this nuanced view of buying books versus using the library and how one person’s buying/reading habits might not suit someone else. And, yes, I am biased–I *heart* libraries (but I really love a good used bookstore too!).

Happy 2009!

Videos, Secure Data and Napping

/ dwakimoto

Happy Monday!

So my library isn’t even open to the public yet (we open at 10am as we are between terms right now) and it is going to be a pretty dead day around here. Which means, of course, lots of work will get done-thus it is a happy (work) Monday.

So, why would it be a happy Monday for you? Because, faithful reader, I have a trio of resources and articles to inspire you to protect your data, make YouTube videos and, well, nap. So without further ado:

First up is this article on students using YouTube videos for help with classes. And, no, I’m not talking about those horrible videos on how to cheat. This article talks about how students watch videos on math problems, biology concepts and physics in order to learn. Yes, they learn on YouTube. This is just great, really! I use YouTube videos in my classes on information literacy all the time and I’ve seen some library videos up on YouTube, but I think it is a place where there is a lot of untapped potential for librarians to populate the YouTube sphere with great library videos. I mean, we’ve already got the vlogbrothers on our side. If you have no clue who the vlogbrothers are, please click the previous link and find out.

Speaking of retaining what you learn, check out this article on how napping helps memory. Yes, we should have students watch YouTube videos and then nap so they retain the information and can think of new ways of using the information they have now retained. I am totally for napping; we need to institute napping during the work day.

And, in order to keep your data secure, while you are napping or otherwise, check out Lifehacker’s guide to the top 10 ways to lock down your data. This is very important stuff. No one wants to be the poor person who loses the confidential company data. So do yourself a favor, and lock down your data.

As a bonus, just for fun because this is probably the last post before I leave on vacation, check out John, of the vlogbrothers talking about his library and other fun stuff.

Enjoy, happy Monday, and happy holidays!

Keeping Current and Living in the Library

/ dwakimoto

Happy Friday! I don’t know about your place of work, but at my library, it has been dead all week long (I mean, we still have people coming in but after the crush that was finals week, it feels like a ghost town). Granted I work at an academic library, and the term is over, and it is quickly nearing many holiday celebration days, and most of the faculty members have left on vacation, but I’m still here! Which means, faithful blog readers, that I’m still blogging.

This will be a much shorter post than usual because, as my colleagues know, I just finished about 7 hours of captioning a video to make with 508 standards. Want to see the labor of my hard work? I captioned the wonderful Fair(y) Use Tale Video from Stanford’s Center for Internet and Society. Thank goodness they made the video available under a Creative Commons License, and with this post I am trying to fulfill the Share Alike clause. And, yes, my eyes hurt from trying to sync captions that long.

Onward to other great things on a Friday.

How do you stay current about trends online? Are you interested in what people are tweeting about? Why should you care? Well, it is always a good idea to know what is happening out there in the Internet ether. You never know what might be super-important to you and your library. Plus, it is just fun to play with new stuff. Here is a great article about 21 sites to Find out What’s Hot Online by makeuseofit.com. Just don’t go overboard on the web surfing. Remember to back slowly away from the computer every once in awhile.

I love this article about students camping out in the library. Take that people who say libraries aren’t relevant! It also goes to show that furniture needs to be moveable so students can rearrange the spaces in ways that work for them. And, in my opinion, people designing library spaces or renovating spaces, could do well to talk with students about how they use the space and what they need before assuming they know best. In another library I was at, it was obvious someone had taken the time to figure out what the students did in the library. Why? Because there were tons of electrical plugs for laptops and wireless worked throughout the building. Not to mention, the chairs were fabulously comfortable. Think I’m joking about the importance of designing for laptops? Check out this post about laptop use from the Ubiquitous Librarian.

Best wishes for a happy weekend! Safe travels to everyone who is traveling this holiday season.

And, never fear, the Waki Librarian will be blogging until the 23rd and then be back again with techie, library goodness after the new year.

Quotes, Transfer Students and Marketing

/ dwakimoto

Again, no I don’t think I can tie these three ideas together. But who knows? Let’s try…

First up, this great list of the top 10 quotes of 2008 by The Yale Book of Quotations. Quick warning, if you are not into politics, or do not have a good sense of humor, you probably won’t find these funny or amusing. But I think they are hilarious, though scary. I mean, check out quote #4. And people at my work are worried about buying an extra toner cartridge. Oh, the irony.

Okay, moving on to something that is near and dear to all of our hearts in the academic world: trying to be inclusive of all the members of the student body. So why do I bring this up? I just read this great article on forgotten transfer students. I think that it is great that some universities and colleges are finally realizing that they need to help transfer students too and not ignore this part of the student body. I especially think of my own institution where “native” students must take an information literacy course but the course is not required for transfer students. I helped co-teach an instruction session on information literacy this summer and one of the students, who was a transfer student, came up after the session and said how helpful it was and how she thought it would be great to have a required course. We have an optional course that transfer students can take but not a course designed for them. Perhaps my school is too small to actually have a dedicated course as such, but surely the library could become more involved and proactive about making the transfer students feel at home. Just a thought.

So how would the library reach out to not just transfer students but the whole community? Take a look at this article on marketing by using Web 2.0 applications. Yes, I know the dreaded word “marketing.” Really, it isn’t a bad word and doesn’t mean you are selling your librarian soul to the big, bad capitalistic corporations of the world. Really, I’m serious, I am so sick of people in my field downplaying or being negative about marketing in the libraries. Marketing is a survival strategy, one that we need to perfect in order for people to perceive us as being relevant (we know we are relevant, but others need to perceive us as being relevant). Okay, off my soapbox now.

This article on marketing in a Web 2.0 world is great because it re-emphasizes that Web 2.0 is all about social connections and that by allowing customers, users and/or patrons (we can have a discussion about the choice of terms used in library discourse and their relationship to power later) to have control over a certain portion of your website and interact with each other, they actually become invested in your services and resources. Everyone wants their voice to matter and wants a way to interact with others. Humans, even librarians, are social creatures, to varying degrees. I think the library is an idea place to let people have a forum to discussion issues, ideas and *gasp* books together in an online world. Seize the positive in the messy, info-overloaded world and let’s market together!

And, the last fun bit of fluff for the day, check out The Best and Worst of Everything from BusinessWeek. Another end of the year list that is interesting and not all doom and gloom.

So tying everything together: Web 2.0 marketing is vital for companies, including libraries. Libraries could use Web 2.0 applications to reach out to transfer students in order to create a welcoming space that they could “own” at their new place of higher education. You could start a discussion around the Best and Worst of Everything from 2008 on a blog or wiki and of course link to the best quotes of 2008–because who doesn’t like a good quote? Okay, I think I’ve now tied everything together.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Some Great Technology for Friday

/ dwakimoto

Okay, here it is, more love from Lifehacker for a Friday. Yes, some random stuff, but also some great tips for making technology work for you. Yes, I heart Lifehacker.

First, for the random, here is the great 40 Inspiration Speeches in 2 minutes YouTube video. Watch it and see just how many of these movies you know.

Here is Lifehacker’s Most Popular How To Features of 2008. I love tutorials and how to posts. This one is great, especially for all you Mac lovers out there–iPods and iPhones make multiple appearances on the list.

Chrome has left the building. No, actually Chrome has just officially left beta. Too cool. I love the Google Chrome browser–it is fast, sleek and the tabs rock. Oh, yeah, this article offers tips and tricks for getting the most out of Chrome too.

Love this (also found through Lifehacker) but here is the original post: The Ultimate Social Media Etiquette Handbook. Check this out to make sure you aren’t committing a faux pas on a social networking site.

And last, but certainly not least, How to Save Time during the Holidays. Great tips for saving time as everyone is so busy during the holiday season.

Speaking of which, everyone have a great time getting ready for the holidays and a lovely weekend. This has been your Waki Librarian info for the day. Now go forth and geek well and support your local library.

End of the Year Lists, Fire Ants, and Other Stuff…

/ dwakimoto

Yes, we are actually closing in on the end of another year. So what can the waki librarian have for you to help with this year’s wrap-up? Well, a little bit of fun, a little bit of “ecological karma” and a little bit of information on college presidents.

Okay, so first for the end of the year lists. I absolutely love this The Top 10 Everything of 2008 from Time. It is great, definitely a sink-hole of time, but a good way to review what happened in 2008. I love the editorial cartoons. There has to be a use for this in my information literacy class next quarter.

So, for the ecological karma. From Wired Science comes this article on fire ant invasions. I love this short article, with links to the original research, because it just goes to show that Mother Nature bites back when there is unnatural ecological change to an environment. So are fire ants superior to other local species of ants? The answer apparently seems to be no, not in undisturbed habitats but with plowed fields-bring on the fire ants! Yeah, ecological karma, guess we should stop plowing under natural habitat for strip malls. Who’d of thought it?

I just love this article on Facebook and the National Archives. I love how people never stop to think where information they give out will ultimately end up. Now granted these papers won’t, most likely, go into the National Archives, but still it pays to think about what is happening to all the information generated when you send out your information into cyberspace. Digital trails, archives have got them. And, if you think you can’t hide anything from a librarian who is searching for information, try an archivist.

And, to end this post. Check out these figures about the inflation of college presidents’ salaries versus instructors and the general U.S. population. No wonder our students are paying a ton and we have institutions that are so top-heavy. I haven’t checked the statistical sources yet, but they look like valid sources to me.

So that ends today’s blog post on random stuff that you can use while teaching, or at least fascinate someone at a party with trivia.