Twitter follower added

Having spent the afternoon developing my PLN I decided to search Twitter for Jeff Utecht. Thanks to the profile paragraph I was able to determine which Jeff Utecht I wanted to follow and added him to my list of Followers.

He may even be my first tweet!

Twitter

In the beginning of my social networking studies I joined Twitter quite enthusiastically, with the intention of keeping my Twitter experiences purely professional. I joined up and started to follow:

• Carole Gerts
• ALIA National Conf
• Aust Lib & Info Assn
• Amer. Library Assn
• National Archives Aus
• National Library Aus
• National Library NZ
• Library of Congress.

I had all intentions to check in with Twitter daily and use my mobile to do this. But it never happened.

Delving back in to Twitter today I have evaluated why I didn't get as immersed in Twitter as I thought I would and these are my conclusions:

1. The choices I made that first day on who to follow were a narrow cross-section of followers relevant to me. I should have selected more and from a variety of areas, including more individuals.
2. I should have sent out a tweet on the day I signed up. To 'wet my feet' and getting started could have catapulted me right in to regularly tweeting. I should have been a contributor, a 'content creator' as Chawner (2008) described. 
3. Deciding to keep my Twitter experiences purely professional during the course of this subject may have 'cut of my nose despite my face' to coin a phrase my mother uses. By using Twitter for personal following as well, I probably would have engaging more quickly in to the whole Twitter experience.
4. Not having a RSS feed set up to alert me to new tweets. I set up my blog to follow the list of recommended blogs in the subject outline and together with the twitter feeds having a RSS feed would have delivered the content to me.

Today I signed up to follow Judy O'Connell and will spend some more time delving in to the world of twitter and send out my first tweet.

OLJ Activity - Librarian 2.0

Based on your reading in Modules 1, 2 and 3 so far, and your examination of the definitions of Librarian 2.0 and the views presented in the above YouTube clips, define what you believe to be the essential knowledge, skills and attributes of an information professional in a Web 2.0 world.

Librarian 2.0 is ..............

Partridge, Lee & Munro (2009) suggest Librarian 2.0 is more about changing attitudes and ways of thinking. In a school setting this would involve the Teacher Librarian 2.0 (TL 2.0) being a leader in changing the culture of the way the school community uses the library. Moving towards engaging with the library webpage as a gateway to the library. They are the driving force behind users changing the way they use the library.

Librarians 2.0 are active participants in moving the library forward and working with colleagues in responding to change (Cohen, 2006). Librarian 2.0 are instrumental in teaching others the skills of Web 2.0. TL 2.0 work collaboratively with teachers in teaching them how to engage student interaction with the library. They are contributory in delivering professional development and support to teachers as they embrace change.

Information professionals in a Web 2.0 world work collaboratively with users, create open websites allowing users to contribute content and encourage library administration to blog (Cohen, 2006). That is, they foster an environment of collaboration and social interaction with library users. As a result, user-created content influences library programs, services and the collection.

Partridge, Menzies, Lee et. al. (2010) states a Librarian 2.0 should be innovative, adaptable, flexible and an active learner. Constantly reinventing the way things are done and keeping abreast of current trends is vital to being an information professional in a Web 2.0 world. Cohen's (2006) view of not wanting for something to be perfect before releasing it and modifying based on feedback is reflective of Librarian 2.0. This view embraces collaboration and social interaction.

Librarian 2.0 seeks out professional development and professional development finds them (Huvila, et al, 2013). Social networking tools are an effective way in ensuring professional development finds TLs 2.0. Being an avid learner and understanding how to implement change is essential in modelling best practice.

Information professionals in a Web 2.0 world have developed management skills and are adept in project management, information management, community engagement and marketing (Partridge, Menzies, Lee et al (2010). TL 2.0 are a leading force in promoting the library via numerous channels and are at the forefront in managing the many projects the library may have running at any one time. They display leadership and are effective communicators.

Cohen, L. (2006). A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto. Retrieved 30 January, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZblrRs3fkSU 

Huvila, I., Holmberg, K., Kronqvist-Berg, M., Nivakoski, O., & Widen, G. (2013). What is librarian 2.0: New competencies or interactive relations? A library professional viewpoint. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 45(3) 198-205. doi:10.1177/0961000613477122

Partridge, H., Lee, J. & Munro, C. (2010). Becoming "Librarian 2.0": The Skills, Knowledge and Attitudes Required by Library and Information Science Professionals in a Web 2.0 World (and Beyond). Library Trends, 59(1-2), 315-335. Retrieved 30 January 2014 from http://muse.jhu.edu.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/journals/library_trends/v059/59.1-2.partridge.html 

Partridge, H., Menzies, V., Lee, J., et al. (2010). The comtemporary librarian: Skills, knowledge and attributes required in a world of emerging technologies. Library and Information Science Research 32(4): 265-271. 

OLJ Activity - Library Website Design

Identify a website of a library or information agency you are familiar with (as either an employee or user) that is utilising one or more Web 2.0 technologies to provide information services and/or learning support.

Based on your reading of Mathews (2009), Lazaris (2009), McBurnie (2007) and Governor et al (2009):

1. develop your own set of criteria (up to 10 criterion) with regard to effective library website design; and
2. evaluate the effectiveness of the selected library website based on your set of criteria, and identify aspects of this website that could be improved using Web 2.0 technologies.

I have chosen the State Library of Queensland to base this OLJ activity on.

Criteria for website evaluation	Yes/No Comment
Promotion Does the website promote library events, collection, services, popular materials? Is the website current and refreshed regularly? (Matthews, 2009)	Yes Events are updated and current. A calendar is embedded. Tabs at the top include resources, showcase and what’s on.
Search Boxes Are there search boxes imbedded on every page? Are the search boxes, federated search boxes? (Matthews, 2009)	Yes The search bar remains on the top of each page. It is a federated search bar with options to search the catalogue, website, what’s on or blogs.
Visual Cues Are icons used? Does the design stimulate the senses? (Lazaris, 2009; Matthews, 2009)	Yes Recognisable icons are used, such as Facebook, Twitter, WiFi, GPS locator. The design is visually appealing using a traditional grid format with lots of colour, photos and images. Although, the visual styling is more appealing on the homepage and more text-based on further links. However, this is still effective in taking users to areas of the website for further information.
Segmentation Is there separate content for different patron groups? Is the styling/text/fonts customised to each group? (Matthews, 2009)	Yes and No There is separate content for users, however, it is not customised for them. The Corner is the children’s space in the library and in reality is a bright, tailored made learning space for children and this is not portrayed by its link on the website.
Feedback Is there an opportunity for user feedback? Has the library posted official responses to user feedback? (Matthews, 2009)	Yes and No There are links to online forms for feedback. However, there is no opportunity on the website for user to post comments. Therefore, there is no avenue for the library to respond publicly. There are many blogs for the library with opportunity for user feedback, but not on the library website.
Redundancy Are there numerous ways for users to navigate the website? (Matthews, 2009)	Yes There are many hyperlinks included navigating users to other pages on the website.
User Interaction Is there an opportunity for users to interact through video/sound/ animation/games? (Lazaris, 2009)	No The only way for users to interact on the website is via hyperlinks to other webpages.
Easy Way to Ask for Help Is it easy to find the Ask the Librarian link? (Matthews, 2009)	No The ‘Ask a Librarian’ link is buried under the services tab on the homepage. It is recommended this be added to the search bar that appears on every page.
Inspiring Photos Have photos been used to highlight people and spotlight library spaces? Have the use of photos reduced clutter on the website? (Matthews, 2009)	No The use of photos is limited to the homepage. Other pages on the website would benefit greatly from the use of photos to engage users to visit the library. For example, The Corner is a very vibrant and interactive learning space for young children and there are no photos of this on the webpage.

The State Library of Queensland has a good base for a website. Evidence of Web 2.0 tools include social networking links, blogging links, federated searches and mashups. The homepage is the website's strength and is where most of the examples of Web 2.0 can be found. 

Opportunity presents itself for the State Library of Queensland to further embrace Web 2.0 tools and integrate them in all aspects of the webpage. With some minor modifications users should be further engaged with the website and play a more interactive role as contributors to it.

Some Web 2.0 additions to the SLQ webpage may include:

• search tag clouds (Governor, et.al, 2009)
• interactive games and applications suitable for children divided in to preschool, primary and secondary school students on The Corner’s webpage.
• Ask a Librarian comments posted and responded to.
• Podcasts and YouTube clips
• Applying features present on the homepage throughout the website to maintain user engagement.

Mathews, B. (2009). Web design matters: Ten essentials for any library site. Library Journal, (available in electronic full text from CSU library - http://www.csu.edu.au/division/library)

Governor, J., Hinchcliffe, D, & Nickull, D. (2009). Web 2.0 architectures (1st ed.). Sebastopol, Calif.: O’Reilly Media. [ebook] Available http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/9780596514433

Lazaris, L. (2009). Designing websites for kids: Trends and best practices, Smashing Magazine, (27 November). Retrieved from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/11/27/designing-websites-for-kids-trends-and-best-practices/

OLJ Activity - Second Life

I participated in a tutorial of Second Life, organised by the lecturer and attended by a handful of students, a couple of weeks ago. I didn't experience much success on the day and decided today was the day I had enough courage to reenter the virtual world of Second Life.

I am definitely a novice user of modern gaming. I was a player of SIMS in its early years, but have no experience of interacting with others in an online environment. That is, until the tutorial on Second Life.

During that experience I became very anxious when I was unable to find the initial environment to meet the group. It took about 20 minutes and many Facebook posts to try and find the group. I discovered my error. The link popped up but I did not recognise the online name and became anxious I was in the wrong environment. I was destracted with the destination guide picks popping up on the left of the screen and assuming I was going to be transported directly to an environment.

Once I found the group, I was able to make limited movements and fumbled my way around the environment. I was able to follow others and be transported to other locations. I thought I took pictures during this experience. However, I am unable to find them.

I have had limited success in altering my avatar. I have been able to change some clothing items, but not all. I had difficulty in finding options and navigating my way through this process. I had concerns for a while when I was able to remove her shirt and had difficulty in dressing her in another. But perseverance ensured she was appropriately dressed in the end.

Altered clothing

I managed to save a few photos to my computer and some to my profile feed. Although, there were some photos that went to the profile feed when I was trying to save them to the computer. I am not particularly sure what I was doing. Likewise, I had limited success with posting photos. I was able to post photos directly from Second Life to Facebook with the intention of them posting to the closed group INF506 but posted them to my profile instead. I was able to import photos saved to the computer in this blog post, but not from Second Life.

CSU-SIS Meeting Hall

Today I was able to walk, run, sit and stand. I was able to find another location, the bar, and keep objects in my inventory such as drinks, cocktails and tea.

I was able to sit in the Meeting Hall. It was here I reflected on the learning potential of online environments such as Second Life. Avatars would be able to attend lectures and meet up with groups. Some environments would be beneficial for distance education students to experience a practical classroom, such as a Laboratory. Having studied anatomy I can see real potential for learning opportunities in an anatomy lab.

Sitting in the Meeting Hall