SPLAT - Special Projects Library Action Team

Having an online presence has become almost mandatory, but there are so many options it can be somewhat overwhelming to get organized. Here are a few that are quick and easy ways to share your interests, market your skills, and provide your contact information without having to invest a ton of time.

Magnt

Magnt is a fantastically fun and easy way to put your picture, biography, and contact info all in one spot. Not only does Magnt walk you through the process step-by-step, but it also allows you to set up a stream of all your other social media accounts for visitors to check out. Set up to be mobile-friendly, Magnt has a handy button for a downloadable vcard right from your new website. Seriously, it takes maybe 10 minutes to set up. Find out more here: magnt.com

Prezi

If you've attended a SPLAT session in the last year, you've heard us talk about Prezi, the online presentation program that is oh-so-cool. The latest trend is to create an online resume using Prezi to present your skills using videos, pictures, and more. Of all the presumes I reviewed while preparing for the post, this one is by far the best: http://prezi.com/xhzbki7iz5z2/brian-alkertons-resume/ It is short and simple. The zooming and panning doesn't make the viewer dizzy (definitely a bonus). Most importantly, the images and the text work together to tell a story, from the use of simple lines and arrows, to zooming in key places to create suspense and resolution (review the Pub Nights image through the next few clicks as a great example of this). This link provides some tips on developing a presume: http://freedomforumdiversity.org/ask-the-recruiter/2011/08/03/prezi-make... There are a few fun examples at the bottom of the post.

Ever need a quick music fix? Ever need to hear a song that you don’t have on your iPod?
Ever need an awesome playlist fast?

When music first started going digital, these things were a little harder to come by. But
now, there are plenty of free online options that let you listen to almost any song you could possibly need, create playlists, and get suggestions from others. Many of these sites also have a mobile version that you can get for your tablet, smart phone, or iPod.

If I’m dying to hear a song, I normally just look up the music video on Youtube (which I
find has almost any song I could possibly need). But, if you’re looking for playlists or just the song, I figured I'd give you a few places to check out.

1.Pandora

Plug in an artist, song, genre, or composer and Pandora will set up a radio station of
songs similar to your entry. This is the most popular option at the moment.

2. Spotify

"Millions of tracks, any time you like. Just search for it in Spotify, then play it. Just
help yourself to whatever you want, whenever you want it." Spotify makes it really easy to share what you are listening to on Facebook, so this is another option gaining momentum.

3. Grooveshark

"Grooveshark provides free music streaming, online radio stations, and lets you connect with artists and friends." Several of my friends use Grooveshark when there is that one particular song they want to hear.

4. Songza

"Working? Throwing a party? Songza has the perfect playlists for any occasion." Although
this is a pretty new website, so the selection isn’t as great as some of the other options, Songza lets you listen to music that you might not find any other way.

Extra: Moreofit

Although this isn’t a music website, I thought it was pretty cool. It lets you search for
websites that are similar to each other. So, if you search for Pandora, it will give you a huge list of other websites to try out.

Obviously, these websites are pretty similar to each other. So, try some out and find
which ones work best for you J

Hard to believe 2011 is almost over. How did libraries fare? Will 2012 be radically different? Better? Worse? The same? Well, if you haven't read this year's The State of America's Libraries, 2011 it is available online, or at http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/archives/issue/state-americas-libraries-2011

Are you looking for ways to help your library users increase their digital literacy skills?  Check out Kathy Schrock's visual organizer of Google applications and how they interface with Bloom's Taxonomy http://kathyschrock.net/googleblooms/.

"In the future, it seems, there will be no fixed canons of texts and no fixed epistemological boundaries between disciplines, only paths of inquiry, modes of integration, and moments of encounter." - Carla Hesse 

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/HistoryWired/Hesse/HesseBooksInTime.html

What is the future of libraries when knowledge is no longer created by a knowledgable speaker imparting information onto a learner or student? What you get is a lot of users and students creating knowledge. Where do libraries fit into that? 

John Seely Brown talked about this at Internet Librarian. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/17940819 If you can watch this UStream of the talk. It will inspire you, hopefully, like I was inspired, to think about how libraries fit into this kind of future. We can: 

• foster study groups
• create serendipitous moments
• find resources and help students connect and synthesize
• create collectives of learning
• when teaching - develop groups of people who will work together to create information/knowledge together
• enable paths of inquiry
• enable groups to work together
• develop critical reasoning skills
• develop the ability to play!

A day packed full of speakers, thoughts to ponder, and new information ... take aways include:

1. Teaching is something that is done to you while learning is something you do to yourself.
2. John Seely Brown brought up the point that there is a new culture of learning -- it requires tinkering, playing, creating new knowledge -- not everyone is comfortable doing it.
3. Instruction is going from a step by step format to a self-discovery, play format.
4. Curiosity, questioning and connecting are important dispositions for the new culture of learning
5. The skills we have today most likely will be out of date five years from now.
6. Don't be afraid to use your "Risk" muscle.
7. Transliteracy is the ability to read, write, and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media .... digital literacy is the foundational base of transliteracy.
8. Gary Price shared his best beta list:  http://J.mp/bestbetas (there are some great ones in there be sure to check them out)
9. Libraries are implementing a number of ways to serve patrons using mobile technology.

Follow the Twitter feed at #IL2011 -- 2 more days!

I had a great time at ILA! Great seeing so many Idaho library folk sharing ideas for making their libraries great. If you missed my presentation on QR codes, here are my slides:

QR Codes: A Guide for Libraries

SPLAT members Jezmynne and Amy will be at Internet Librarian next week! Will you be there? 

We'll be talking about User Experience and Producitivy, sharing some tools we've learned about. Check out the whole program here: 

http://www.infotoday.com/il2011/

Kate Baker and I just had a conversation about crafts at ILA.  She
just created some marvelous fabric jewelry and knitted coffee cozies while
sitting on the SPLAT couch.

We would like to keep the yarn
bombing basket and some knitting and crocheting tools & supplies as a
"craft basket" that will become part of the SPLAT couch tradition at
ILA conferences.

What do other SPLAT members think about this idea?

The Idaho Library Association Annual Conference participants were challenged by nationally-known library futurist Joan Frye Williams to view librarianship as tranformative.  Rather than looking at the traditions, rules, and perceptions of librarians -- view librarianship through the following filters:

• Generosity
• Flexibility
• Trust
• Hope
• Teamwork
• Laughter
• Gratitude

Joan noted that the reality is technology "jerks" you around -- human nature is more reliable, more predictable -- and gives you lots to ponder and smile at!

She charged the group to

• create an enticing environment where people want to be
• provide more sharing opportunities -- less guarding
• simplify
• make browsing easier
• accomodate exceptions -- they will happen -- one rule does not fit all!
• provide more tools, less rules
• allow people to come to libraries via their way
• serve as a first responder -- allow anyone who works in the library to provide service
• thank everyone for their service -- not their time!
• convene community conversations -- allow the community to describe the cake rather than just provide the ingrediants

For more thought-provoking, conversation generating audio, listen to "Thinking OutLoud" -- engaging conversations between Joan Frye Williams and George Needham.

http://www.infoblog.infopeople.org/category/george-and-joan/ 

Suggested: 

• Underutilized Library Skills
• Going Back to Schools
• Some Big Existential Questions
• Amazing Developments in Libraryland

There are many others -- listen, think, and enjoy!