Cool tools: Scoop.it

What is it? 

 Scoop.it is a beta (currently invite only) website that lets you become ”the curator of your favorite topic!”

What does it do?
You create a topic.  Scoop.it  searches  the web (including social media) for related news articles, blog posts, tweets, YouTube videos, etc. which you can then build–or curate–into an online collection of sources.

How/why should I use it?
Example #1: Library instruction
1A: Evaluation
After showing students how to evaluate websites, you can walk them through how to set up a Scoop.it on their paper topic, *and* set up RSS feeds for journal and/or database articles for same.  Then they compare results  for reliability, authority, purpose, currency, and accuracy.

1b. Search types
Compare the effectiveness of Boolean and/or phrase searches with both tools (Scoop.it vs. the journal/database RSS feeds).  Which is more effective, and why? Which might be better for an academic research paper, and which might be better for gauging popular opinion or learning about pop culture?

Example #2: Self-promotion as a topic expert
Perhaps you are a job-seeker, or the owner of a small business, or part of a non-profit.  You’d like to demonstrate your expertise on a particular subject, such as Twitter for educators, and make sure that it’s branded. Create an account with a look and feel consistent with the rest of your online presence, and then create your topic.  Tweet links to the articles you’ve curated or post them on Facebook or Linked In.

Example #3:  Learn  by following others’ topics
Click on Explore to see what  other people are “scooping.” Create the Scoop.it version of RSS feeds by following topics of interest.

I’m following 32 topics on Scoop.it

Example #4:  Track what online friends are reading
There are other tools for this, namely Twitter and Delicious–but neither include a similar visual component.

I have 5 scoop.its right now: Academic Library Instruction, Google Plus for Info Pros, Time & Productivity, Social Media for InfoPros, and Mobile Apps.

Similar to:
A visual version of Delicious.

Pros:
Free; visually appealing; easy to use.

Cons:
Designed to work with resources on the open web, which means you need to evaluate sources for reliability.

How to get an invite:
Click on invite button on Scoop.it’s webpage, or you can do what I did—ask people on social networks if they had any to spare. :0)

Leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter.

Google Plus, Privacy Minus

I started using Google Plus a few weeks ago.   I really liked it, and started following some of the hordes of other librarians already on it right away.  I was excited by its collaborative possibilities, and ready for an alternative to Facebook.    Probably one of the best things about Google Plus (for now, anyway) is the total lack of any commercial entities.

Recently some things have happened which make me question my decision.

G+ accounts suspended without good reason
Recently I’ve started seeing stories like this one about how Google Plus is deleting accounts “en masse” without disclosing specific reasons for doing so.

Loss of all Google Services
This story in particular caught my attention.  It is an open letter from a student who was denied access to all of Google’s services, supposedly due to a violation in Terms of Service (this was never explained).  In the process, he lost lots of data and had his life disrupted.  Needless to say, he is now embittered against Google, and who can blame him?  Also, what’s to stop this from happening to someone else?  What would you do if this happened to you?

A  colleague of mine describes the security concerns inherent in using cloud services this way:  “If you keep your stuff at someone else’s house, don’t be surprised when they move.”  Or, in this case, when they change the locks.

Public vs. Private Accounts
I’ve also heard that accounts that aren’t set to Public will be automatically deleted on July 31st.  I disagree but, after all, it is their product.

Below is an excerpt from Google Plus help section (emphasis mine):

“The purpose of Google Profiles is to enable you to manage your online identity. Today, nearly all Google Profiles are public. We believe that using Google Profiles to help people find and connect with you online is how the product is best used. Private profiles don’t allow this, so we have decided to require all profiles to be public.

Keep in mind that your full name and gender are the only required information that will be displayed on your profile; you’ll be able to edit or remove any other information that you don’t want to share.

If you currently have a private profile but you do not wish to make your profile public, you can delete your profile. Or, you can simply do nothing. All private profiles will be deleted after July 31, 2011.”

Pseudonym Ban
Google+ is also banning pseudonyms.  This concerns me because I don’t feel comfortable using my full name on the Internet, and try to avoid it when possible. Others are concerned about disclosing their identity online, because they have been stalked or otherwise abused.  Why should their safety be compromised?
Here is an excerpt from Google’s policy:

“On Google products such as Blogger and Picasa, users can use three types of identities: pseudonymous ( activity tied to a made up name) , identified (activity tied to your real name), and unidentified (activity tied to neither).”

On Google Plus, however, users have only one option: identified.

Skud at infotropism has some excellent posts on this topic.  She even surveyed over 100 people who had their Google Plus accounts suspended for name-related reasons. Many of them had excellent reasons for not using their full names, including government employment, incidents with stalkers, backstabbing colleagues, online harassment, and many more.

Now what?
I really like Google + so far.  And I do use other Google features, such as Gmail, Google Reader, and Google Docs.

But I’m not so sure that I’m OK using the products of a company that…

A)…kicks people off of its service without any warning or way to access their information. Even YouTube will give you several warnings.

and

B)…hasn’t addressed valid concerns about user safety and privacy.

I totally get that G+ is a social network, designed to help people connect with others.  But…privacy and safety are not black and white.

What can I contribute?

I’m a new academic librarian, and have yet to write an article or present at a conference. There are so many areas of interest, and so many people contributing, that it’s hard for me to know where to begin. For one thing, I don’t have faculty status (and I’m OK with that), so I’m not required to “publish or perish.” And most of the time, I’m too busy with my day to day “librarianating” to look ahead and actually, you know, plan stuff.

Also, it’s difficult for me to believe that I have something fresh and worthwhile to offer, especially when I look at conference programs and think,

“Wow, how cool!”

or

“I’ve never even *heard* of that”

or

“How did they find the time to do all of that research?”

Surely I can’t be the only one who feels this way. I cast out some feelers on this topic to librarians on Google Plus and got the following advice:

—”You have information worth sharing. That’s a very general statement, but everyone has something they are The Expert in. The trick is to figure out what your topic/field is. Once you’ve decided, you’d look for conferences geared towards that topic.”

—”Identify what you know, and what interests you. What unique/interesting slant can you give it? Then find a conference. Check out previous presentations, hopefully online ones. Talk to the organisers and offer to do a freebie, or a small workshop type event to get your name known and tweeted. Repeat until you get asked.”

—”Figure out what you love and what you want to share and then go for it. Remember that you’ll be sharing your knowledge with a great community, too! Don’t feel apprehensive about it. I think the best thing about presenting is the people that I meet through it all – that’s where I’ve learned the most.”

—”Come up with an idea you want to present, find people to present with you because it is easier/more fun with a panel, plus it might help your nerves if you present with someone who has presented before, submit a proposal when there is call for conference proposals at a conference you’ll be at anyway. At least in my state, I think selection committees to make room for everyone who wants to present. I hope this helps.”

test blog post

test blog post

Right now I’m working on a lesson plan…

Right now I’m working on a lesson plan that uses video for instruction–inspired by LOEX.

Social Media Overload, or how my Twitter spilled onto my Google + and contaminated my Facebook

“Your peanut butter Google Plus is in my chocolate Facebook!!!”

If you’re old enough to remember who shot J.R. ¹,  you may remember the Reese’s commercial  referenced above.  (TLDR/W: a boy and a girl “meet cute” by accidentally mixing up their chocolate and peanut butter).

I missed the initial Google + hoopla ’cause my back was out.  The “invite only” reminded me a little of Google Wave, not to mention 7th grade gym class (eep). I didn’t want to be left out, even though I wasn’t 100% sure what the “cool kids” were doing.

I use social media to keep up with library and information-related developments.  I’m already having issues with cross-pollination between Twitter and my RSS feeds.  Now Google + is adding a whole new layer of “AAAAGH!” to that.   Maybe if I didn’t have a tendency to add RSS  feeds and librarians like crazy, that wouldn’t be an issue.

I have 2 Facebook accounts (one for work, one for family). I mainly use these  to stay current with Facebook since it is so popular with college students.

I have a Twitter account where I follow 599 people and organizations, about 80% of whom are librarians or other information professionals.  I follow over 100 RSS feeds, about 70% of them library and/or tech-related.  I occasionally visit FriendFeed.  There’s lots of overlap here.  I may just use Google + for library-related stuff, if I continue to use it at all.

If you’re not on Google+ yet but you’re curious, here’s a good blog post about it from Agnostic, Maybe.

¹ Spoiler alert: It was Kristen.

Addendum (added July 9):
I should mention that I’ve got 850+ Twitter favorites to plow through. The most I’ve had is 1300…the least was 300. I can’t even load them all onto a single page.
Also, after I wrote this entry, I found a post on “How Google + ends social networking fatigue.”

Librarians and cover letters

A couple of really great posts on writing cover letters for library jobs have surfaced in the blogosphere lately. I don’t have any pearls to add–just that it’s interesting to me, as always, to hear advice from someone on the other side of the application process.  I feel lucky to have an information/library-related job at all, let alone one that I enjoy and where I work with supportive colleagues.   If you’re looking for a library or information-related job, check out LISjobs.com for some great resources and advice.

Attempting Elegance blog: “the torment of terrible cover letters”

Lots of comments here.

And a great blog post response by at Across Divided Networks, especially, “There’s a difference between job duties and job accomplishments.”  Simple  advice that is not often heeded.

 

LOEX 2011

I was lucky enough to go to the LOEX conference for for instructional librarians in Fort Worth a few weeks ago–yes, this is a belated post.  It was also my first library conference. Due to financial reasons, I haven’t been able to attend a conference until now. To attend this one, I applied for a staff grant and my library also paid part of the cost.

Highlights

TRANSLITERACY
–Libraries are not different/special/better than other sources of information such as Wikipedia.
–Before instruction sessions, students sometimes fill out a form that directs them to go to a library resource AND Wikipedia and look for synonyms for their topic, to use as possible keywords.

–“Popular vs. scholarly” doesn’t cut it anymore.  Have you taught your students transferable skills, or will they be flummoxed when a database changes its interface completely (ex: Lexis-Nexis).

–Library instructors at UT Chattanooga refresh their curriculum every 2 years. (impressive!)

–Most students are not going to have access to expensive databases once they graduate, so they’re likely to return to Google and Wikipedia for information. Therefore, they should be taught how to use these resources in a good way.
–Information literacy: ability to obtain  & use information for specific need.  Transliteracy: tools used for this purpose–Print vs. databases vs. Wikipedia, etc.

Slideshare presentation

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT DURING ONE-SHOTS
–Quick techniques for instant assessment: minute paper, classroom opinion poll (using PollEverywhere), background knowledge probe, and direct paraphrases.  We also took several polls during the session using PollEverywhere.

–Macro-assessment, which demonstrates the accountability of an entire instructional program, and classroom assessment, which takes place during individual sessions.
–The speaker also collected our e-mail addresses and any other questions we had after the presentation, and sent a follow-up email after the conference addressing these questions.

YOU OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES–
–Have students make library orientation videos to demonstrate their understanding of the library’s resources and services.

– This technique can  be used during a 50 minute one shot. The instructor quickly puts students into groups, explains the assignment, and hands each group a Flip camera and a list of 4-5 questions on one area of the library. Students have 20-25 minutes to find the answers to the questions and create a brief orientation video that answers the questions. The speaker had a great Prezi with links to sample videos created by students.

Another idea: Use Windows Movie Maker to create a brief video of some of the library services for students to watch at the beginning of the session.

I really hope I can try both ideas at my library.
LOEX 2012 is in Colombus, Ohio.  Definitely not within driving distance like this one was, but I hope I can go.  Now that I know what I’ve been missing, it’s going to be difficult to keep me away. *grin*

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING
–Getting to see how other people do things. I got lots of great ideas, not only from the sessions, but just from talking to other people.
–Meeting  such a variety of other instruction librarians: veterans, newbies, Boomers,  Millenials and Gen X-ers;  faculty and non-faculty; Canadians, Texans, and other; introverts, extroverts, and  iPad-wielding hipsters.

It made me wish I’d started attending conferences earlier in my career (this was my first, ever).   I’m on a fairly tight budget and up to now I couldn’t understand why so many people would pay hundreds out of their own pockets to attend a conference but now I sort of get it.

Some LOEX tweets are below:

LOEX tweets

So I finally got an eReader….

Nook e-reader

Or is it an e-Reader? Or possibly an e-reader?

Recently I was lucky enough to be re-gifted a black and white Nook for Christmas. Despite my interest in shiny new things, I had put off getting one for some time.

a) I’m  frugal

b) I could always read e-books on my iPod Touch,

c) I’m concerned about e-books and the digital divide.

d) Past experiences trying to read e-books  on a computer screen had not impressed me.

e) I hated the idea of possibly not being able to control access to e-books I’d purchased. I’d heard about Amazon deleting illegal copies of 1984 (of all things) from Kindles .  When you buy a print book, it’s yours and that’s the end of it.

One month later…

The good. So far, I like the Nook.  I can definitely see the appeal of getting a book delivered to you instantly.

It uses e-ink and is backlit, so there’s no eye strain.

You can read library books on it, if you have online access to a library with Overdrive.

The bad. It doesn’t have 3G–not a big deal. A bigger deal? I can’t download free e-books from the Project Gutenberg site. I can do this with my iPod Touch, if I use the Kindle app.

The ugly. Unfortunately for me, the closest library with Overdrive is 70 miles away, and requires a resident library card for access. (OK, OK, so that’s really not the Nook’s fault). Even with this access, I’d have to download Overdrive’s software on my computer, find a book that wasn’t checked out, download it to my computer, and *then* transfer it to my device.

Related articles

• Tutorial for Putting Library Books on Your Nook (beingruth.com)
• Nook: First Impressions (shanshantastic.wordpress.com)
• Review: Library e-books easier, but still hassle (sfgate.com)
• Kindle vs. Nook on Twitter; Kindle review on Amazon: library lending Kindles (teleread.com)
• Public Libraries, Why aren’t you lending nook, Kobo, COOL-ER and SONY eReaders? (libraries.wright.edu)

Augmented reality & libraries

A screenshot of across air, an augmented reality app for iPhone and iPod Touch. This screen is showing nearby foursquare venues.

Augmented reality is a computerized layer that can give you more information about objects in real life.  Libraries are beginning to explore some of its uses.

Possibilities:
Orientation. Get different pieces of information, depending on your location.   Find out if printers or copiers are nearby.
Discovery/browsing. Browse The Great Gatsby and be directed to a different floor with movie or audio book versions .
Event reminders. Walk by  a meeting room and be reminded about the guest speaker who will be  there tomorrow, and directed to a link with more information.

Caveats
Not everyone has mobile devices that will work with augmented reality applications. AR apps are not in wide use yet–it may be another few years before they’re so common that patrons will wonder, “Hey, where’s the library’s AR stuff?”

Experimenting with acrossair.
Since I have an iPod Touch,  not a smart phone, there are only a few AR applications that I can use.   One of them is acrossair, an “augmented browser” for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.  You can search nearby tweets, Youtube videos, Wikipedia entries, photos, and more.

Once you find a video, tweet, or what-have-you, you can bookmark, Facebook, tweet or email it to someone.
You can also map the approximate location from where it was taken, get directions to this location and share the location via Twitter, Facebook, or email.
For example:
Let’s say I want to find out if anyone nearby has made a YouTube video.
I click on the YouTube icon and get a map with red pins.  Each pin symbolizes a YouTube video made within a 5, 10, 15, 20 or 50 mile radius, depending on my settings.

Clicking on a pin takes me to the YouTube video:

This is where it gets a little weird. For each video, I can map where the user was when he/she made them,and even get directions to the (approximate) location in different “layers”, such as map or satellite.

Why would I want to do this, exactly? I noticed none of my YouTube videos came up, and I’m not sure why.  Not that I’m complaining.

Summary of acrossair:

Pros: Fun, and a novelty.
Cost: Free.
Cons: The interface is a bit crowded. Other people’s information can be shared in ways they don’t know about and/or haven’t explicitly authorized.
Application to libraries: Reputation management.  This is a quick, visual way to find out who in your area is tweeting about or taking pictures of the library.

Related resources:

“How Stuff Works: Augmented Reality.” http://computer.howstuffworks.com/augmented-reality.htm
“Augmented reality and libraries: 8bitlibrary.com.” http://blog.8bitlibrary.com/2010/04/16/augmented-reality-and-libraries/
“Augmented reality using a webcam and a flash.” http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/augmented_reality.html
“AR Toolkit.” http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/