tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3925323279445971032024-03-12T19:28:56.466-07:00Water BottleSLIS blog and beyond. Blending the personal with the professional.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-58941254684745247142009-12-13T14:41:00.001-08:002009-12-13T14:43:24.329-08:00Screencast SoftwareI've been playing around with screencast software today. I have Jing's free version installed on my computer and I just installed a trial version of Camtasia for mac. Here is a screencast I did for my 451 class, demonstrating how a project about folk music could be searched using the Music Index Online database.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="400"> <param name="movie" value="http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/mp4h264player.swf"></param> <param name="quality" value="high"></param> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"></param> <param name="flashVars" value="thumb=http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/FirstFrame.jpg&containerwidth=640&containerheight=400&content=http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/Music%20Index%20Online.mp4"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param> <param name="scale" value="showall"></param> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param> <param name="base" value="http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/"></param> <embed src="http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/mp4h264player.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="640" height="400" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="thumb=http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/FirstFrame.jpg&containerwidth=640&containerheight=400&content=http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/Music%20Index%20Online.mp4" allowFullScreen="true" base="http://content.screencast.com/users/Music.databases/folders/Camtasia/media/21acc8de-ab99-4584-82b1-bd389056a39b/" scale="showall"></embed> </object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-14122624876068257682009-12-06T09:07:00.000-08:002009-12-06T09:22:29.892-08:00AptitudeFirst, I've found that I really like the New York Times' Tech section. It's one of my favorite news sources since I've bookmarked it. Today I read an article about how iPhone "Apps" are changing not only the evolution of smart phones, but also the development and distribution of games.<br /><blockquote>The popularity of Apple’s app model has reached a fever pitch. Tens of thousands of independent developers are clamoring to write programs for it, and the App Store’s virtual shelves are stocked with more than 100,000 applications. Apple recently said that consumers had downloaded more than two billion applications from its store.</blockquote><br />The full article is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/technology/06apps.html?_r=1&ref=technology">here</a>.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-24099921296627289282009-11-29T07:04:00.000-08:002009-11-29T07:10:55.597-08:00Podcast Watch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wnyc.org/images/podcast/otm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.wnyc.org/images/podcast/otm.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Listening to the podcast On the Media, which is out of WNYC, the public radio station of New York City, would probably be a good bet each week, because their topics often merge with topics related to librarianship. However, sometimes they hit librarianship more directly, as they did on their past show: <a href="http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2009/11/27/01">The Past, Present, and Future of Books</a>.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-47906266604440350972009-11-27T06:48:00.000-08:002009-11-27T07:00:06.434-08:00Website of the Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/.a/6a00d83451c45669e20120a5477185970b-500wi"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/.a/6a00d83451c45669e20120a5477185970b-500wi" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Andrew Sullivan's blog The Daily Dish is one of my favorite news sources. His readers regularly send in photos taken from windows and these photos are shared on the blog with the heading, The View From Your Window with the location and time listed below the photo. Now The Atlantic (which Andrew Sullivan works for) has collected a portion of these photos into a book. Sullivan provided a link to <a href="http://www.blurb.com">blurb.com</a>, where you can create your own books. You can also page through books like you would a physical book. It's the first time I've ever been to the website, and it's pretty cool. For a sample, here's a link to the Atlantic book <a href="http://www.blurb.com/books/955762">The View From Your Window</a>.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-36260992093087522142009-11-23T05:35:00.001-08:002009-11-23T05:46:07.802-08:00Continuing Evidence...that the eReader is not a fad: Barnes & Nobles' Nook has <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/barnes-nobles-nook-sold-out-for-the-holidays/?ref=technology">sold out</a>. Really, it shows a problem with production and distribution, but eReaders are desirable gifts. The Kindle is only about two years old, and there's already a swell in competition and attention. It's not changing the culture as fast as the iPod, but it's changing things.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-10437902980415930262009-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:002009-11-20T09:00:17.925-08:00Word-of-MouthPeople have been sharing hilarious bits of viral culture with me lately, showing how the Internet helps word-of-mouth campaigns and vice versa. YouTube has played a prominent role, as has Amazon, two titans of 2.0. People will often ask: "Where did you find out about this?" and I say, "People told me about it," just like I told them. Every bit (especially the oozinator and the shake weight) has elicited tearful laughter or stress relief. That doesn't go unshared. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4S3C4AC908w&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4S3C4AC908w&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YdAIt4MgnHc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YdAIt4MgnHc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1l7prksbcDo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1l7prksbcDo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6IjUkNmUcHc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6IjUkNmUcHc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Check out how many <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Mens-Three-Short-Sleeve/dp/B002HJ377A">reviews</a> this t-shirt has.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-46123827207764055922009-11-19T16:53:00.000-08:002009-11-19T16:55:48.198-08:00Website of the DayIn class today we talked about the advantages of presenting a single box search to users over the multiple boxes of most library search engines. Dartmouth college has adopted the single box search using Summon. I don't entirely understand how to describe it, so I think you should just take a <a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/home/find/summon/">look</a> for yourself.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-84983515758194525042009-11-18T05:26:00.000-08:002009-11-18T05:36:15.617-08:00Article of the DayI have an iPhone now, in addition to my Kindle. I read my iPhone on the bus, and my Kindle at night. I realized yesterday morning when I had a half hour before my class started that I was reading my iPhone at College Library, rather than just using a computer. So I went an used a computer, mainly because it's novel for me to read the news on such a large screen. Some people have asked if it's hard to read the iPhone when the writing is so small, but I haven't found it to be difficult. I wouldn't want to do it for a long period of time, or read a novel on it, but it's fine for bus rides. <br /><br />An article ("Library in a Pocket") in the NY Times today discusses smart phones vs. e-readers. <br /><blockquote>With Amazon’s Kindle, readers can squeeze hundreds of books into a device that is smaller than most hardcovers. For some, that’s not small enough.<br /><br />Many people who want to read electronic books are discovering that they can do so on the smartphones that are already in their pockets — bringing a whole new meaning to “phone book.” And they like that they can save the $250 to $350 that they would otherwise spend on yet another gadget.</blockquote><br />Read the full article <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/technology/18reader.html?_r=1&ref=technology">here</a>.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-53947455385706662122009-11-17T05:57:00.001-08:002009-11-17T05:58:55.005-08:00Website of the DayI'm not totally sold on <a href="http://www.flickchart.com/Splash.aspx">flickchart.com</a>, but it's definitely addicting when you start. The major drawback is that there aren't enough movies cataloged yet, so if your tastes range into more obscure areas, you'll find yourself getting frustrated.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-25236231090415393582009-11-16T04:53:00.000-08:002009-11-16T05:07:17.686-08:00Article of the Day - 2 other industries fighting to evolveIn the New York TImes this morning, I read (for free) two articles. The first is a blog entry with the headline <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/business/media/16paywall.html?ref=technology">About Half in U.S. Would Pay for Online News, Study Finds </a>. <br /><br /><blockquote>Americans, it turns out, are less willing than people in many other Western countries to pay for their online news, according to a new study by the Boston Consulting Group.<br /><br />Among regular Internet users in the United States, 48 percent said in the survey, conducted in October, that they would pay to read news online, including on mobile devices. That result tied with Britain for the lowest figure among nine countries where Boston Consulting commissioned surveys. In several Western European countries, more than 60 percent said they would pay.</blockquote><br />Staying in the Tech section, we see Nicholas Carr contemplating <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/magazine/15FOB-Phenomenon-t.html?ref=technology">The Price of Free</a>: what will happen to TV if we all stream shows from the web? <br /><blockquote>When, in late September, rumors surfaced that Comcast was trying to buy NBC Universal from General Electric, Wall Street reacted with dismay. Grandiose attempts to combine media production and distribution — programming and plumbing — are nothing new in the entertainment business, but they almost always end in disappointment. Witness AOL Time Warner. So what in the world could be prompting the Comcast chief executive, Brian Roberts, to start down this accursed path?<br /><br />I fear that I’m to blame.<br /><br />A few months ago, while stalking the aisles of my local Best Buy, I gave in to techno-temptation. I bought a Blu-ray player. What I didn’t realize until I unpacked the gadget was that it does a lot more than just spin high-definition discs. It is, as they say, Web-enabled. As soon as I plugged it into an outlet in my living room, its built-in WiFi antenna sniffed out my home network and logged on. The Blu-ray player became a gateway between the Internet and my television set</blockquote><br />See! Many industries are struggling with the impact of new technology. There's a strange internal negotiation that goes on with consumers, wanting things quicker and freer, while also needing to acknowledge at some point all of the work that goes into that content.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-90464842302793552462009-11-14T10:51:00.000-08:002009-11-14T10:56:45.295-08:00Article of the DayIn my recent Learn@UW post I compared a potential library ad campaign to the Got Milk? campaign that started in the 90s. I sought out <a href="http://www.aef.com/on_campus/classroom/case_histories/3000">an article</a> that might provide some insight into that ad campaign. <br /><br />This quote from the article seems to suit libraries well: "Elated, Manning and Goodby sought to extend this dual strategy. They wanted to continue with the deprivation strategy, stimulating people to drink milk when they ate complementary foods. And, in addition, they also wanted to seize the opportunity to revamp milk's symbolism. Their second round of ads would continue to push milk's image from boring and old-fashioned drink to one that was cool and interesting."Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-74169072675153790552009-11-13T12:12:00.001-08:002009-11-13T12:23:08.742-08:00Website of the DayThe website I'm going to endorse today is <a href="http://www.like.com/">like.com</a>. The most unique feature of the website is the ability to find products similar to a product that you like based upon the image provided. For example, if you like a pair of jeans, then you can search the image to get other similar-looking jeans. Just hover over the image and click on "See Details." <br /><br />It's also nice that you can limit your searches by "On Sale" and "Free Shipping," and that you can refine the search by "Price," "Brand," "Color," "Style," "Material," and "Site." You can also upload an app to your iPhone. The website is easy to use, has lots of options, and isn't cluttered like many other online retail stores. <br /><br />I need to buy a new pair of shoes, because the hole I have in my heel right now won't be good when the snow comes. This might be a good place to check. Never bought shoes online before. Hope they fit.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-27507328107115818942009-11-12T12:34:00.001-08:002009-11-12T12:58:41.784-08:00Articles of the DayCheck this Vanity Fair <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/gladwell-200912">gem</a>.<br /><br />And <a href="http://ben.casnocha.com/2009/11/contrasts-in-how-google-suggets-searches.html">this post</a>, by Ben Casnocha, is a must read, and actually pertains to finding information.Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-39605199508685994552009-11-12T12:15:00.001-08:002009-11-12T12:36:52.163-08:00Deep ThoughtsWhenever some declares a non-living thing as being dead, that person is really coming to terms with his or her own mortality and is starting small. Heard someone on the radio today say this: "I have this theory that nostalgia is dead." Nope. Or wait, maybe it is. I miss nostalgia.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/nintendo.joystiq.com/media/2007/12/nostalgia_cs_1223.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 355px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/nintendo.joystiq.com/media/2007/12/nostalgia_cs_1223.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-24430694824141041822009-11-12T09:32:00.000-08:002009-11-12T09:41:23.954-08:00Website of the Day"We made the top 10!" That's the exclamation that reverberated around the office today, as news came from the Pew Center on the States' report on the most troubled states in the union. The website's worth taking a look at, good design, helpful information: <a href="http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/states.aspx">Pew Center on the States</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/9/3/2/coming_to_the_rescue_lk0408.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 363px;" src="http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/9/3/2/coming_to_the_rescue_lk0408.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-27817890408326078842009-11-11T18:32:00.000-08:002009-11-21T07:47:52.907-08:00What's happened to Rolling Stone? and how it relates to librarianshipAt the end of the summer my dad handed me a few issues of Rolling Stone magazine. He'd gotten me a subscription as a present, finding a loophole in my gift-giving clause that says never subscribe to anything for me, because it will lead to more junk mail. By getting the subscription himself, he avoided that and was able to physically hand me the magazines, which sates his love of giving presents to people. When I got home I paged through the issues, but that's about all. I didn't really read anything, nor did I feel like I gained any insight into the music world. I did feel like I got a shot of popular culture that I hadn't taken in a while, tossed it back and forgot about it. The magazine just feels so...directionless.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PuGbRHOIW2E/SrPQM-kYkOI/AAAAAAAAB7k/MVQjmV6fSg0/s400/megan_fox__rolling_stone_magazine_.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PuGbRHOIW2E/SrPQM-kYkOI/AAAAAAAAB7k/MVQjmV6fSg0/s400/megan_fox__rolling_stone_magazine_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />The most disappointing thing about Rolling Stone is the reviews, not that the reviewers don't have things to say. They just don't have much space to say it as each album review is about five sentences long. Plus, they use a five-star rating scale, which is really no good anymore--there's no differentiation. Most of the reviews you'll see are between three and four stars. Anything over four stars is likely a reissue that is being reappraised or an album from an already accepted classic act. When I was first complaining about the meaninglessness of the ratings, I began reading the band names and their rating aloud to Kamie. Whenever I got to an album that was given only two and a half stars, she'd say: "Ooh, burn." And that's how I felt too, but neither of us meant it, and neither did Rolling Stone. There's no sense of meaning anything. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.crashandbang.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/pitch.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.crashandbang.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/pitch.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>In contrast, an online music magazine like Pitchfork delves deeper into each album, rates their albums on a scale of 0 to 10 (including decimals, not halves), and usually has the songs available in a jukebox so that you can listen to the music they are discussing and determine if you agree with the critic's perspective. Any review that gets a rating of 8 or higher is given a special Best New Music tag, which makes is stick out. People dislike Pitchfork as a hipster taste-making site, but it's structure and perspective are clearer and better suited to a meaningful relationship with the actual music. <br /><br />Compare the reviews of Cass McCombs' Catacombs. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/cassmccombs/albums/album/28976042/catacombs">Rolling Stone</a> vs. <a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13180-catacombs/">Pitchfork</a>. <br /><br />Yes, that is a dig at Rolling Stone, because they never reviewed it, not even online.<br /><br />It's probably more appropriate to compare a feature review of Rolling Stone: Devendra Banhart's What Will We Be. <a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13645-what-will-we-be/">Pitchfork</a> vs. <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/30450584/review/30455317/what_will_we_be">Rolling Stone</a>.<br /><br />I have my own problems with Pitchfork. For example, the emphasis upon obscurity sometimes seems like the driving force behind the website. But it has a distinct personality, and it often heralds risk-takers when they are emerging, rather than the belated approval that is generally given to experimental acts and musicians who don't have the structural support to market themselves. And they're having a cultural impact. Indie music is way more popular than it was ten years ago. The <i>sound</i> of the music plays a role in that, but the meaningful approach that Pitchfork takes also matters.<br /><br />Many of Rolling Stone's problems have do with the identity confusion surrounding the decline of print and the rise of online journalism. And libraries are dealing with the same thing! There are important analogies in the journalistic world that librarianship needs to recognize. Cultural gatekeepers are becoming more important, not less important as people (incorrectly, IMO) are increasingly saying. For example, the NPR program All Songs Considered talked about the decade in music and there seemed to be a consensus that there were no more gatekeepers to music and that was a major shift. I think that's the wrong way to put it. The gatekeepers have changed, from print to online, and from larger brand name magazines (like Rolling Stone) to Pitchfork, blogs, and information aggregator formulas. <br /><br />How do libraries position themselves on the front lines? Adopting new technologies will help, but it's meaningless if there isn't a directed personality behind it. Trying to adopt everything or bring everyone into the mix could alienate old patrons without bringing in anyone new. Why? Because new technologies without any purpose are like a parent suddenly adopting his or her child's fashion sense. It makes someone look older, not younger.<br /><br />Parting question: Do libraries need to brand themselves?Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-66472984859768163652009-10-09T13:53:00.000-07:002009-10-09T14:41:30.723-07:00#23. SummationI found a blog called "Library 2.0: An Academic Perspective." It's no longer running, since Laura Cohen, the person who was maintaing the website, has retired. But in her penultimate post, entitled <a href="http://liblogs.albany.edu/library20/2008/01/snake_oil_bandwagons_and_library.html">Snake Oil, Bandwagons, and Library 2.0</a> she raises issues that are worth thinking deeply on, and thus worth ending on.<br /><br />I'd also like to say that throughout this process I have begun to think not just about learning 2.0, but also about how to manage the onslaught of new technologies. Must everything be discovered? No, I don't think so. Some people seem to be far better at this. They can examine a new website or service, get the gist of its value and move on. I tend to turn things inside out in my ming, continually move for new perspectives, question again and again if it's actually worth something to me. <br /><br />There was a portion of time during this 23 things exercise where I felt like I was being forced into a situation where I couldn't see the value. That doesn't mean the tools aren't valuable for other people, but I wondered why I was exploring. And I can't even say I was really exploring that heartily. I explored some of these services from the balcony of my hotel room (so to speak). <br /><br />But going through the process has also made me reflect on what I like and made me think about how things that I've encountered could be used in creative ways. A week ago I devised the initial stages of a new feature for the library that I work at on the UW campus. I talked to a full-time librarian about it and he said he liked the idea. It's given me the idea to seek out a practicum where I can learn how to create podcasts. I've wanted to do this for a while anyway, and thinking about it all has brought me to this point, where I want to take the thinking to action. That's a good result from an exercise like this. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fsUpuI9gTnY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fsUpuI9gTnY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-47055952317384736562009-10-09T13:44:00.001-07:002009-10-09T15:26:50.336-07:00#22. Downloadable Content at LibrariesInstead of going to NetLibrary to look at the audiobooks, I've decided to do a little research on how actual libraries are using downloadable content. I read about the New York Public Library first. They have a <a href="http://ebooks.nypl.org/06360A9A-C98E-4C19-A30B-6400C4C4A433/10/257/en/Help-FAQ-General.htm#question-205">FAQ</a> section that is sort of amazing. They have different formats for music, ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video, etc. Then I looked at the <a href="http://overdrive.bpl.org/F6735EB1-21AF-4F62-BDD7-BDC37C9A824B/10/327/en/Default.htm">Boston Public Library</a> and they seem to be using the same service called <a href="http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/">OverDrive</a>.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k4oCrCwEIEA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k4oCrCwEIEA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-37483342811433743342009-10-09T12:56:00.000-07:002009-10-09T15:20:28.553-07:00#21. PodcastsI can understand why many people wouldn't be interested in podcasts. Most of them I find to be boring or irritating. But it's the podcasts that I like that make them worth it. I got into listening to podcasts because I started to listen to talk radio in my car, right around the same time that I got my first iPod, maybe 2004. I started to read a lot of news online, and so podcasts were a natural ally in the quest for more and more news. <br /><br />I listen regularly to the Slate podcasts, all of which are good. I subscribe to Filmspotting (a weekly film podcast), Savage Love (weekly sex advice podcast), Musicheads (weekly music podcast). I cherrypick the rest, dipping in to Fresh Air and several others. <br /><br />I don't know why more newspapers don't do more casual, personality-driven podcasts. They're a great way of luring in a new audience. I really dislike the podcasts that are read from scripts. I like the ones when people are passionate, interesting, experts, etc.<br /><br />I like podcasts about film and music, so I've begun downloading podcast called The /Filmcast.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x0S5zS8jSE4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x0S5zS8jSE4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-29187363011892808422009-10-08T14:56:00.000-07:002009-10-08T15:12:53.846-07:00#20. YoutubeI don't know if you've ever seen this, but it is one of the first videos that I saw on Youtube that I began showing to people when I talked to them. It has a lot of the Youtube touchstones: amateur production, little to no editing, drama, the sense of having witnessed something inexplicably entertaining. Good stuff. If you haven't seen it, I assure you you won't be traumatized, and implore you to stay until the end.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LU8DDYz68kM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LU8DDYz68kM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Videos on Youtube, one of the things that I use Youtube for the most, often makes them unembedable, but someone is always putting a new one up, and if they have to, will videotape their own television. But it feels much more about fandom than about not paying for something. Like this video, how can you not love it?<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/clq01TXQR0s&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/clq01TXQR0s&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-30801018271440434412009-10-08T14:44:00.000-07:002009-10-09T15:17:34.495-07:00#19. Urban SpoonOK, <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com">urbanspoon.com</a> is insane! First, I looked at restaurants in Madison, and this ranks them, which makes me want to go to some of the restaurants I haven't been to and to not name the one that isn't on their top ten, lest it get busier than it already is. I checked out the breakfasts, because we basically only go to the Original Pancake House. Marigold Kitchen seems to have a good rating, and you can access the menu, see a map to its location, read reviews. <br /><br />The oddest thing was that I checked out Green Bay after Madison, and noticed a link to Luxemburg, this tiny town that I grew up in, not exactly the most urban place for your spoon, and it had a top ten of restaurants from that area! And they are pretty good suggestions. Excellent tool for travellers, for vacation, for dumbfounded resource searchers, extremely comprehensive and easy to use.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/loWFypHb48k&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/loWFypHb48k&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-66625017745705375082009-10-08T14:15:00.000-07:002009-10-09T15:05:38.469-07:00#18. Google Docs and ZohoThe two words that keep recurring throughout this process of web 2.0 exercises is the emphasis upon things being free and communal. I've used google docs in a few classes, and the more I use it, the more I see its use. No more group emails where documents are attached and people try to edit them, not knowing what the current state of the group project is. No more of the inability to open documents because your Mac cannot open the file extensions of new Word packages (i.e. docx). For example, I have to be on a computer with the newest version of Word to open the lectures for this class. That computer doesn't exist in my home. But Google docs works well!<br /><br />This is the first time I'd heard of Zoho. I didn't create an account, because I already have access to Google Docs and because I feel like taking a break from signing up for these services that are coming too fast for me to actually use them. Zoho looks like it offers a lot, though it's a bit overwhelming to consider it all. I don't know how other people take this kind of thing in. Do you feel compelled to look at it all? Maybe find one service that intersts you and just use that? It's a bit too much for me. Google has it right IMO. Simple look, practical, flexible applications. The creativity comes from the user. It's easy to do a lot with little.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z19zFlPah-o&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z19zFlPah-o&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-11778676547174532402009-10-06T18:04:00.001-07:002009-10-09T15:02:54.973-07:00#17. Playing Around<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.topnews.in/usa/files/Forgetting_Sarah_Marshall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 405px;" src="http://www.topnews.in/usa/files/Forgetting_Sarah_Marshall.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Well, I created an account, but there is no "Edit" tab that I can see. The only tab available to me is "View." I can tell I'm signed in. Don't really understand what's going on. Maybe later.<br /><br />I don't know about favorites. Lately, I've really liked the movie<u> Forgetting Sarah Marshall</u>. My fiancee and I have watched it a few more times recently and it's very quotable. Now when someone speaks with a British accent, I'm tempted to tilt my head, simulate a bad British accent and say, "You sound like you're from London." When someone needs to move on, I say, "It's like <i>The Sopranos</i>--it's over. Time to find a new show." Etc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sup.org/html/book_covers/0804704864.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 102px; height: 150px;" src="http://www.sup.org/html/book_covers/0804704864.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>For the headier side of my personality, I'd recommend <u>The Complete Essays of Montaigne</u>, translated by Donald M. Frame. If I could only take one book to a desert island, blah blah blah, this would be it. I used to think the complete works of Shakespeare, but that just seemed like the appropriate answer. Honestly, I'd take Montaigne. The first essay is called "By diverse means we arrive at the same end" and the last one, is called "Of Experience." But the essay I've been reading lately, also from the "third" book, is titled "Of Vanity." I just flipped it open to a random place in the essay and found this:<br /><blockquote><p> Whatever it is, whether art or nature, that imprints in us this disposition to live with reference to others, it does us much more harm than good. We defraud ourselves of our own advantages to make appearances conform with public opinion. We do not care so much what we are in ourselves and in reality as what we are in the public mind. Even the joys of the mind, and wisdom, appear fruitless to us, if they are enjoyed by ourselves alone, if they do not shine forth to the sight and approbation of others.</p></blockquote><br />This made me think of writing this blog, and all blogs in general. There's something strange and fruitless to the feeling that others must read it, and I don't really know why that's so important. But it feels like it is, whether by art or nature. And I wonder about how good it is too, which is why I closed my Facebook account. I did feel defrauded by the notion that I somehow needed to live in the online public square. <br /><br />I remember writing to a friend (a letter, by hand, on sheets of paper, because Montaigne will inspire that kind of thing) calling Montaigne a friend. I regretted it after I'd sent the letter, because it felt ridiculous to write. And it still sort of is, but there's something about this book that feels a lot like the best aspects of friendship.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LvIOAPFb534&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LvIOAPFb534&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-38811896341234307222009-10-06T17:22:00.000-07:002009-10-09T14:58:27.063-07:00#16. Wikis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wikepedia.biz/wikpedia.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 162px;" src="http://www.wikepedia.biz/wikpedia.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a> When I hear the word "wiki," my immediate thought is of Wikipedia. I generally think Wikipedia gets a bad name, particularly since I use it so much for quick reference. I wonder if people (particularly librarians) who badmouth wikipedia ever use it. Its openness does make is susceptible to tampering and misinformation, but as <a href="http://news.cnet.com/Study-Wikipedia-as-accurate-as-Britannica/2100-1038_3-5997332.html">this 2005 article</a> shows, Wikipedia is nearly as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica. <br /><br />Plus, if you think about it, suggesting that Wikipedia is entirely unreliable, because it's susceptible to tampering, or some form of information sabotage, presents a pretty cynical view of the world. Are people really going around deliberately adding in wrong information? The accidentally incorrect information is often corrected over time by people who know better. <br /><br />There are citations. There are warnings at the top of entries that have disputed perspectives of its bias. There are notes applied to records that need to have the writing be cleaned up and clarified. I can only speak from experience. I do not feel that the writing on Wikipedia is worse than the writing in Encyclopedia Britannica. As a matter of fact, I think it's better. And the speed with which new entries can be created and developed makes it a no-brainer for me. If I were writing a research paper, I wouldn't cite Wikipedia, but I really wouldn't go to Encyclopedia Britannica either.<br /><br />The library that I work at now uses a wiki for training information, which is useful as a reference tool for newly hired workers who often need simple reminders of how to perform their jobs. The wikis often save the managers time and help the new workers to save some of the anxiety of starting a new job, since you can't remember everything that you're told or taught, and you don't want to keep asking your boss for reminders. Plus, jobs change, and the wiki provides a platform for simple, quick changes.<br /><br />Of the examples on the 23 Things page, I like the Library Best Practices page the best. It's an effective way to organize a large amount of information, and not only add to it, but change it as library practices change.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y1V7jBMXLvk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y1V7jBMXLvk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392532327944597103.post-52827890678211908392009-10-04T19:33:00.001-07:002009-10-09T14:52:01.331-07:00Library 15.0.Dr. Wendy Schultz's article "On the way to the library experience of the future" is a fun article. I often like reading about things like this, how libraries will be different in the future, with flying e-thoughts and information vacations across the sparkling bridges of one's synapses.<br /><blockquote><p><br />This will be the library for the aesthetic economy, the dream society, which will need libraries as mind gyms; libraries as idea labs; libraries as art salons. But let’s be clear: Library 4.0 will not replace Libraries 1.0 through 3.0; it will absorb them...<br /><br />But Library 4.0 will add a new mode, knowledge spa: meditation, relaxation, immersion in a luxury of ideas and thought. In companies, this may take the form of retreat space for thought leaders, considered an investment in innovation; in public libraries, the luxurious details will require private partners as sponsors providing the sensory treats. Library 4.0 revives the old image of a country house library, and renovates it: from a retreat, a sanctuary, a pampered experience with information—subtle thoughts, fine words, exquisite brandy, smooth coffee, aromatic cigar, smell of leather, rustle of pages—to the dream economy’s library, the LIBRARY: a WiFREE space, a retreat from technohustle, with comfortable chairs, quiet, good light, coffee and single malt. You know, the library.</p></blockquote><br />This is the library as sci-fi romance novel. But I particularly like the bit about newer forms of library not abandoning old forms, but "absorbing" them. The proselytizing about new forms of technology often feels as reasoned and fruitless as the condemnation of new technology, just as the library's utopian future seems as likely as its dystopian one. These are extremes, but they're not caricatures of libraries or librarians, but all part of a vast consciousness, with different worries and different hopes. It's not useless to let reality get away from us. Daydreaming is probably one of the most practical things I do.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ecUNOtq62Ks&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ecUNOtq62Ks&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Alex LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03979160652854576661noreply@blogger.com0