Just for Fun

Collaboration and the University

/ dwakimoto

Okay, so I’m very sorry for the lack of updates. My only excuses are that it is nearing the end of the quarter, enough said, and I took the weekend off to top off my energy tanks because exhaustion was taking over in a big way. So enough with that and on to the topic of the day–collaboration and the university. Yes, everything is about collaboration.

Now I really don’t care if this article says that the blog is dead and we should all move to twitter. People declared the death of the book years ago and I’m still borrowing and buying books. It is just now that there are multiple ways to deliver and receive information. Is twitter fun and a neat way to keep up with people, sure? But blogs are still a great way to deliver information and even if people don’t get famous off their blogs anymore, which seems to be one of the laments of that articles, blogs still offer a way to get your voice out there on the web and contribute to the building of community.

So what does this have to do with collaboration and the university? Well, this article says that Web 2.0’s big advantage to the college and university world is the ability to collaborate. You don’t say? 🙂 And what have we been discussing on this blog, why, collaboration. It is all about connecting people to people, information to people and people to the information. Collaboration is always what Web 2.0 is about and it is nice to see someone write an eloquent article on the subject. I think one of the things that will save online learning is the fact that it is becoming easier and easier to collaborate online, even asynchronously. One of my big concerns with online learning is the potential loss of interaction and synergy among students that happens during great group discussions and projects in face-to-face classes. But with Web 2.0 growing, improving and expanding the opportunities for collaboration each day, we do not have to sacrifice interaction when teaching online. And that, to me, is a saving grace because I don’t want us to become a bunch of pod-people who never interact and lose all social graces of conversation. Remember, it really is all about interaction, community and collaboration. Without interaction, we are all just screaming into the abyss of cyberspace by ourselves which, let’s face it, does not sound like a very appealing way to spend your life.

And, last but certainly not least, a post with a video clip from Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. The stop-motion film looks awesome and Gaiman’s take on other people expanding and adapting his creative works is so refreshing. Talk about being talented and gracious. This article and clip renewed my confidence in Mark Twain’s quote: “Stay away from people who belittle your ambitions, small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

Have a great Tuesday.

Recipe for a Wednesday

/ dwakimoto

So, right off, this is nothing to do with libraries, unless you are like me and like to eat chocolate while reading books.

But I had to try to alert more people about Wired’s article on Baking a Cake in a Mug. I tried it this weekend and it turned out fabulously. 5 minutes, 1 mug and you get 1 microwave-baked cake of joy! Really yummy, I want to try the recipe with Peppermint hot chocolate. So if you don’t have time to bake a whole cake, try out this recipe and let me know what you think.

More on libraries later this week, I promise.

Humanity

/ dwakimoto

Alright, first off, a little bit on the elections before we get into the nitty-gritty library stuff. I promise I won’t get too into politics (but Rock on Obama!); I just wanted to share this great xkcd cartoon with you today. Seriously, go check out Election.

Now that you are back, let’s just admit it–everything we do is to further collaboration and connection. Humans are social creatures, no matter what people claim about being introverted. Yes, we differ on the level of social networking and interaction we want, but we are at our base social creatures. We want to connect and collaborate and this is where Web 2.0 tools come in so handy.

I found this blog post through Tame the Web and I too am hearting this post. Really, go check it out. Technology is just the means to connect and to reach out to others. We are using technology to recreate and re-invent public meeting spaces that are rapidly disappearing.

And last, but not least, here is an article from Educause about a phenomenon that fanfic writers have known about for years–collaborative work. These stories live online and many people contribute to them, respond, and comment on these stories. Storytelling is no longer limited to a few authors, but expanded to anyone who has an idea. Anyone can create something and post it on the web. And, no, I am not against everyone having a voice and I don’t think it is a crisis of quality of writing, reading, or any of that other stuff. Remixing, creativity, and passion live in this new world and if educators could harness the work that students do in this environment and transfer it to lessons and assignments in school, I think the results would be amazing.

Yes, I am unrepentant in my optimism about Web 2.0 applications, teaching and creative work. I believe that we can collaborate and connect online and in person because that is what we do. And as librarians, educators and blog readers we can all take part in these creative endeavors. Happy November 5th and rock on!

Happy Halloween!

/ dwakimoto

So, if you want some Halloween fun, head on over to Lifehacker where they have some Halloween tips and tricks.

It’s Friday! Yahoo! So glad it is Friday. In California, we are getting the first major rain of the season which is wonderful, but makes me awful sleepy. I just want to curl up with a good book and hot chocolate! Hopefully it doesn’t rain on our trick-or-treaters.

Anyway, on to some library goodies for your digital Halloween bag of tricks!

So excited to get a feed yesterday about a Google Labs project. It is an accessible web search for the visually impaired! How great is that? As librarians, we are always trying to provide access to information without any barriers and this definitely helps. I’m always happy to see large companies making products that promote accessibility.

And, since we are on the topic of Google, here is a really cool article from Wired about how to use Google more intelligently. Some tips you might already know, but a lot of good stuff to share with people you know who use Google. (And, honestly, who goes on the Internet and doesn’t end up at Google at least once?)

Last up for the day, but definitely not least is Scott Brown’s article, Facebook Friendonomics also from Wired. The article is a very interesting look at how social networking sites are changing how we keep in contact with people we might otherwise not. Something to think about while you are simultaneously twittering away while you’re webcasting your life.

Have a great weekend!

An Assortment of Goodies…

/ dwakimoto

…to help with finding library conferences, public speaking, and more.

Yes, another random day of posting from the Waki Librarian. And why not? I am a little tired at the moment and apologize in advance if none of this makes sense. I am wading through another round of homework from my students and am amazed how many do not pay attention to directions? Anyone have a great tip for getting students to actual follow directions on assignments?

Anyway, first resource for today is the recently updated Library Related Conferences compiled by Marian Dworaczek. Rock on Marian! This is a great source–international in scope and just makes me want to go to so many conferences.

Speaking of conferences, check out this great article on public speaking from Lifehacker. I don’t know about you, but it is so disappointing to go to a presentation and have a person present so poorly that all you can think about is why there isn’t wifi in the room so at least you could be on Facebook. Really, everyone can always improve their public speaking (I know I can), and it is worth it to explain your point coherently and engagingly. Remember, public speaking might be nerve-wracking, but it can be the best way to make an impact in your library and in the great community. You represent not only yourself but your organization, so go out and make a splash so no one is wondering how to hijack the wifi while you are presenting but instead are riveted thinking “wow, that is so cool!”

So you are getting ready for presenting and would like to change it up a little. I dare you to include one of the 24 words that CED wants to get rid of to make room for other words in the dictionary in your presentation. Perhaps you can embrangle your competition or, as my mother says, baffle them. Plus, I think it is always fun to learn obscure words. Have some fun.

Alright, so you’ve got the list of conferences you are going to, you’ve got your tips on public speaking and even a few cool, obscure words to use, but you still need to figure out where to meet Bill before you both head down to the conference together. No worries, there is Meet Inbetween Us to the rescue showing you the half-way point to meet before carpooling over to the conference together.

Finally, you’ve heard of Google docs right? But do you know how to use Google docs? I have to admit to not being fully conversant in all things Google docs. Luckily for us there is the Google Docs Guide. Now we can all figure out how best to use Google docs.

I think that is enough to keep us all busy this Wednesday. But I have to share a quotation before leaving you in the blogosphere that came up on the quote widget on iGoogle the other day and is just great for our web2.0, perpetually beta, hyperlinked world where we are always learning:

“Personally I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill

Thoughts for a Foggy Monday

/ dwakimoto

Hi! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I don’t know if it is because it is a Monday, or because it is foggy, but I seem to be in a bit of a brain fog this morning. Or it might just be because we are in the 5th week of the quarter (ack! where did the time go?) or because my head is exploding from all the information I took in at Internet Librarian 2008!

Anyway, that is a long way of saying that today’s post is going to be a little bit random (but what’s new?) and will be some tips and thoughts I had mulling over in my brain this weekend.

First, how do the Michaels do it? They always have such relevant Transparent Library columns. I was just thinking about implementing some of the tips that I got out of the digital marketing session from IL2008 and then read Library Journal and there was this column talking about PR 2.0. I think this is fantastic, as usual, writing about how to open up the lines of communication and get us connecting with library patrons. We need to get out there and be visible and how easy is that now that we can use free resources such as RSS, blogs, wikis and YouTube for promoting the library and friends of the library? Love it, want to implement, and hopefully my fellow librarians will be down with it.

Okay, so speaking of all things 2.0–are you twittering yet? Are your patrons? I sometimes feel we are out in front of the tech curve, but lots of people are using twitter as yet another social network. You can sign up for a free account at twitter.com and get a network of followers and those you are following. It is a fun way of keeping up with people and you can use it to network too as a lot of librarians are on twitter. If you want some more applications to make twitter more fun look at this article. Oh, and remember you can get Firefox widgets for twitter and many social network sites, like Facebook, have twitter widgets.

So if microblogging is too much, and I admit that sometimes it is, what can you do keep in touch with people in a meaningful way? To borrow from the great Lifehacker, ungeek to live! I have a friend who we almost exclusively keep in touch through handwritten cards. Yup, through the post. It is great to have a correspondence in the 0.0 world and be able to look back over these cards. So just remember, just because it doesn’t come with bits and bytes doesn’t mean it might not be the best tool for the job.

Have a happy Monday.

Podcasts and Zombies

/ dwakimoto

Happy Friday!

So the big news today is that the podcast of the first Technology Brown Bag is now available. Just check out the Tech Brown Bags page of this blog for the podcast. Its runtime is just under 40minutes. And I am sorry in advance for the poor quality. My only excuse is that it is my first podcast and I am still learning Audacity. I promise the next one will be better, but at least you will be able to get the information, along with the handouts, now.

For fun, check out this article on the Zombie Tag craze that is sweeping colleges and universities. I love the fact that both classrooms and libraries are safe spaces! This is a good example of having fun without any technology. I wonder if it will come to CSUEB.

Have a great weekend!

Thoughts for the Weekend

/ dwakimoto

Two more thoughts for this gloomy Friday: one about admissions to college and one about Internet overload.

We will have the serious discussion first. Check out this article about changing admissions standards at UNLV. UNLV seems to be facing some of the same issues that CSUEB is facing and contemplating the same changes in direction, especially trying to place a greater emphasis on research. Just something to think about over the weekend.

And now for some weekend fun. Do you every feel overwhelmed by all the information on the Internet? Does Facebook frighten you or do you feel the Internet sucking away every spare minute of your day? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Check out this video if you want a break before you turn off your computer.

Have a great weekend!

What about Optimism?

/ dwakimoto / 1 Comment

So from the title of today’s post, you can probably tell that I’m getting a little frustrated by only hearing about doom and gloom all the time on every issue. It is easy to slip into pessimism about the state of the libraries, the state of the nation and the state of the world. But to me, that is way too much like giving up or giving in. Instead, let’s be optimistic–at least where libraries and librarians are concerned. There are a lot of great things that are happening out there and a lot of ways to turn a lot of glass half-empty scenarios into glass half-full scenarios. And no, I’m not saying to ignore reality, rather I’m saying let’s bend reality into what works for us.

Case 1: Jeff Jarvis’ amazing article Let’s Junk the Myths and Celebrate what We’ve Got.
I love this article. Jarvis could be describing how many librarians feel about the Internet and new technologies, couldn’t he? He completely underscores what I try to get across in this blog: yes there is junk on the Internet, but there is so much potential too.

Case 2: Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere
Everyone just has to get on board with the fact that blogs are not going away anytime soon. In fact, more are coming online every day. So libraries and librarians need to continue to get out in the blogosphere and engage others. It’s not enough to have a website and think that we have a web presence to the extent we need. Nor should marketing only occur through the library’s website–we need to be more than a website to our patrons in order to stay relevant.

Case 3: Library Quote #1 & Library Quote #2
There are two great photographs of pillars inside a library with library quotes on them. How cool an idea is that? The photographer, unfortunately, kept all rights reserved instead of using a Creative Commons License so I did not directly paste them in this blog. I encourage you to check them out though. But if you don’t want to click through, the quotes are as follows:
“A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library” Shelby foote
“I don’t believe that libraries should be drab places where people sit in silence, and that’s been the main reason for our policy of employing wild animals as librarians” Gorilla librarian sketch-Monty Python

Always remember, never take yourself or your job too seriously. If we can still have fun, we can stay relevant and be optimistic about our place and task in the grand scheme of society.

As I always leave my students with a final thought for the day, I’ll leave you with one too that will help you keep your optimism. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ~Mark Twain

Comments welcome. Stay optimistic and curious and you will be able to find creative ways of doing the work of the library.

Another Post Inspired by Back to School Time

/ dwakimoto

I’m still completely in the back-to-school mode of thought and this post reflects it. Think of it as a continuation of Friday’s post: two parts fun and one part seriousness.

I was reflecting on one of my favorite quotes yesterday, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” (Don Swartz). I thought that it was very appropriate in our roles both as librarians and as teachers. We know a lot about a whole lot of things, but no one really does care unless we can help them. Like the best teachers always say about the classes they teach: the class isn’t about the teacher, s/he already knows the content, it is about the students and what we can learn from each other. This concept works with marketing the library as well, but that is another day’s post.

Want proof of the power of caring? Check out Rate My Professor. Do you see your name there? If you check out professors, the ones that actually help their students and care about their students’ learning are the ones who most often get the highest ratings. Caring, not being an easy grader, is the key to becoming a great professor. It is fun to look at the professors responses to their students ratings too.

Here is one of the great interactive sites on the web Free Rice. Here you can improve your vocabulary while getting sponsors who advertise on the site to donate rice to the UN World Hunger Program. For every answer you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Hunger Program. It’s easy, it stretches your brain and you get to help people without ever leaving your computer. And to think that some say interactive web has no good uses!

Do you love music? Do you want a soundtrack to play at work so you aren’t distracted by everyone coming in and out of your office all day? Check out Pandora from the Music Genome Project. You get to design your own radio stations that only play the music you like. You can choose one of their already made stations or create your own station around your favorite artists, songs, genres, etc. Just follow the really simple instructions for creating a free account and start making stations. You can make a station to listen to when writing articles, another for when you need some energy, etc. Go have some fun on Pandora.

I promise the next post will be less about back-to-school and more about diving into the fray of Web2.0 and libraries. Happy Monday!