Prize winners!

At last week’s Staff Inservice, the following ELL participants won the awesome prize drawings:

flip video camera: Evelyn Kaehler

digital camera: Karen Zuidema

iPod shuffle: Kate Kniffen

muvo mp3 players: Kathleen Lanigan and Linda Balla

Congratulations!!

#23 The FINAL Thing!!

Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of Evanston Library Learns, the Evanston Public Library’s Learning 2.0 Program.

For the FINAL Thing, we ask you to summarize your thoughts on this program.

Not sure what to write about? Here are some questions to think about to get you started (you don’t have to all these questions):

• Overall, what did you think of the program?
• What, specifically, did you like best or worst?
• Were there Web 2.0 topics you would have liked to have learned that were not covered?
• Do you think you’ll continue using any of the tools & resources we learned about outside of work?
• How about for work? Which of these tools would you like to see EPL implement? Do you have specific project ideas for your department or the library?
• Were there any obstacles that made it difficult to complete the program?
• Do you have any suggestions on how future training programs could be better designed to attract all EPL staff?
• How important were the prizes in motivating you to complete the program?
• If it wasn’t the prizes, what was the biggest motivating factor that led you to complete this program?

Discovery Exercise:

1. Write a blog post summarizing your thought on the Evanston Library Learns program.

#22 Audiobooks (or the end is in sight!)

The last major Thing of Evanston Library Learns is to take a look at MyMediaMall and the available downloadable eAudiobooks.

MyMediaMall is a subscription service through a company called Overdrive, in coordination with the North Suburban Library System. It allows Evanston Public Library patrons to download eAudiobooks, eBooks, and videos to their personal computers. For Thing 22 we are going to look at the eAudiobook feature of MyMediaMall.

Our MyMediaMall subscription gives access to two formats of eAudiobooks: WMA audiobooks and MP3 audiobooks. Some of the titles in our MyMediaMall subscription are available in only one of these formats and some are available in both. The difference has to do with which devices they can be played on.

For example, both formats can be played on a patron’s computer, using a free software called Windows Media Player. The MP3 audiobooks can be transferred to a patron’s MP3 player, cell phones that support MP3 files, iPods and iPhones. The WMA audiobooks, on the other hand, can only be transferred to portable devices that support DRM-protected WMA files.

Confused?? Yes, we know all these acronyms and distinctions can be confusing. But this is a relatively new field for public libraries and the companies are still hammering out the details regarding rights and compatibility. Hopefully, in the near future, all the titles will be compatible with all devices.

Discovery Resources:

• The library’s Download Books and Video page.
• MyMediaMall’s Quick Start Guide.
• MyMediaMall’s list of compatible devices.
• MyMediaMall’s video tour on how to install the necessary software, find titles and download them.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Read through some of the Discovery Resources above and then visit MyMediaMall.
2. Explore the eAudiobooks that are available.
3. Write a blog post about your experience.

OPTIONAL: If you have a computer where you can do this, download the OverDrive Media Console and check out an eAudiobook. You do not need to have a portable device to transfer it to; you can listen to it right on your computer using Windows Media Player. This is not required for the completion of Thing 22 because we understand that many staff members are using shared, public desk computers to complete Evanston Library Learns. However, we strongly encourage you all to try downloading an eAudiobook from MyMediaMall.

#21 How to find podcasts

iTunes, the free downloadable application created by Apple is the directory finding service most associated with podcasts, but if you don’t have iTunes installed there are still plenty of options.

For this discovery exercise participants are asked to take a look at some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your Google Reader account as well, so that when new casts become available you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.

Discovery Resources:

• There are many, many podcast directories and finding tools out there. Here are just two of the more popular ones that, unlike iTunes, don’t require a software download:
  • Podcastalley.com
  • Podcast.com
• What? You want to learn how to be a podcaster too?
  (Optional Resources for those who want to learn create podcasts)
  • Beginner’s guide to Podcasts & Creating Podcasts
  • How to podcast tutorial

Discovery Exercise:

1. Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. See if you can find some interesting library-related podcasts here like book review podcasts or library news.
2. Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your Google Reader account.
3. Create a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here?

#20 Learn about podcasts

The word podcast is used to refer to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet. What differentiates a podcast from regular streaming audio or video is that the delivery method for podcasts is often done automatically through RSS.

In 2005, “podcast” was named the “word of the year” by New Oxford American Dictionary and with the growth of podcasting over the last few years, it’s easy to see why.

Podcasts take many forms, from short 1-10 minutes commentaries to much longer in-person interviews or panel group discussions. There’s a podcast out there for just about every interest area and the best part about this technology is that you don’t have to have an iPod or a MP3 player to access them. Since podcasts use the MP3 file format, a popular compressed format for audio files, you really just need a PC (or portable device) with headphones or a speaker.

Discovery Exercise:

1. To find out more about podcasts start with the Podcasting in Plain English video
   
2. Blog your thoughts about this technology.

#19 Discovering Web 2.0 tools

Throughout the course of this Evanston Library Learns program we’ve explored just a small sampling of these new internet technologies and websites that are empowering users with the ability to create and share content.  Given the time, there are so many more we could explore!

Estimates place the number of web 2.0 tools at somewhere between 300 & 500 with only a handful emerging as market dominators. Although time will only tell which of these new collaborative, social networking and information tools will remain on top, one thing is for sure: they’re not going to go away. This is a huge part of the future of the Internet and we need to be aware!

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select any site from this list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees and explore it. With so many to choose from, it might be handy to first select a category that interests you (like Books or Personal Organization) and then simply select a tool/site to explore. Be careful to select a tool that is Free and that doesn’t require a plug-in or download. The majority of these free, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Select any site/tool from the list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees. (If you prefer to select from just the winners, here’s a link to the short list.)
2. Explore the site you selected.
3. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a library setting?

Web 2.0 – with so much to explore, just start with ONE.

#18 Web-based apps: they’re not just for desktops

There are many web-based tools that allow you to create and share documents (think word processing and spreadsheets) over the Internet without the need for installed desktop applications.

One big benefit to these tools is it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from computer to computer. You can create a document, save it to (for example) your Google Docs account, and access it from any computer with Internet access. No need to email yourself an attachment or carry your documents around on a flash drive.

Another bonus is that they easily accommodate collaboration by letting multiple users edit the same file (with versions) and provide users the ability to save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf).

Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death to Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools. Others think web-based applications have their place, but not in the office.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at Google Docs, create a simple document and then write about your discoveries in your blog. If you’re up to the challenge, you might even export your document as an HTML file or publish it to your blog.

Discovery Resources:

A short list of web-based productivity applications – Note: this list was authored in ZohoWriter and exported it as HTML.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Log in to your Google account* (this is the account you set up for Blogger and/or Google Reader).
2. Explore the Documents function of your account.
3. Try creating a document (any type) and write about your experiences in your blog.

Optional: If you’re up for the challenge, try using Google Doc’s “publish as web page” option.

* Note: You can also explore Zoho Writer, another web-based productivity application, if you don’t want to use Google.

Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!

Take a look at the prizes page!

#17 Playing around with Wikispaces

“Sandbox” is the term that wikis often use to describe the area of the website that should be used for pure play. For this discovery and exploration exercise, we’ve set up a whole Evanston Library Learns Wiki* that’s for nothing but play!

For this “explore-and-play-with-wikis” exercise, you are asked to add an entry or two to the Evanston Library Learns Wiki.

The theme of this wiki is simply “Evanston” : Favorite places to eat, drink, shop, relax, play…in our town. All you need to do is add your thoughts.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Access the Evanston Library Learns Wiki and look around.
2. Add something to the site (click on “Edit this Page” and then type your additions and click “save”). Do you have advice about places in Evanston? Add it to the wiki!
3. Create a post in your blog about the experience. Can you think of other uses for wikis at the library?

* NOTE: The Evanston Library Learns Wiki was created using the free version of WikiSpaces, a tool that lets you create webpages that anyone can edit.

#16 So what’s in a wiki?

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content, with no knowledge of HTML or other markup languages. Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest and perhaps the most well known of these knowledge sharing tools. With the benefits that wikis provide, the use and popularity of these tools is exploding.

Watch this video for a short explanation of wikis:

Some of the benefits that make wikis so attractive are:

• Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
• Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what has been changed and by whom.
• Earlier versions of a page can be viewed and reinstated when needed.
• And users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used.

But, wait a minute! We have a staff blog, we’ve made our own blogs and now we’re talking about wikis?? What’s the difference between a blog and a wiki, you ask?

Advantages to blogs

• Easy to post information — great for news, announcements and timely tips.
• Chronological order — most recent post always appears at the top.
• Automatic RSS feed — readers can subscribe and get the posts in their newsreader.
• Comments can be attached to each post — can create an ongoing conversation about specific topics.
• Only blog authors can edit the content of a post — maintains the author’s voice and control.

Advantages to wikis

• Anyone, anywhere can contribute — collaboration! No one author, no one voice.
• True equalized collaboration (when accounts aren’t required)
• Can create any order/flow to the information — sometimes chronological order doesn’t work well for the type of content. Wikis let you organize the pages by subjects or themes; closer a more traditional website.

As the use of wikis has grown over the last few years, libraries all over the country have begun to use them to collaborate and share knowledge. Among their applications are pathfinder or subject guide wikis, book review wikis, ALA conference wikis and library best practices wikis.

Discovery Resources:
Use these resources to learn more aboout wikis:

• Wiki, wiki, wiki – a post about wikis from PLCMC’s Core Compentency blog
• Wiki’s: A Beginner’s Look – an excellent short slide presentation that offers a short introduction and examples.
• What is a Wiki? – Library Success wiki presentation
• Using Wikis to Create Online Communities – a good overview of what a wiki is and how it can be used in libraries.

Discovery Exercise:

1. For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a look at some library wikis and blog about your findings. Here are a few examples to get you started:
   • SJCPL Subject Guides – a pathfinder wiki developed by the St. Joseph County Public Library system
   • Book Lovers Wiki – developed by the Princeton Public Library for their 2006 Summer Reading Program.
   • Library Success: A best practices wiki
   • ALA 2006 New Orleans wiki – an example of a wiki created to support a specific event
   • Other library wiki examples
2. Create a blog post about your findings. What did you find interesting? What types of applications within libraries might work well with a wiki, as opposed to another tool?

So what’s in a wiki? Find out by doing some exploring on your own.