HandHeld Librarian IV

HandHeld Librarian IV | Webinar at NEKLS | Feb. 23, 2011 | live blogging

We are again having a hybrid Face-to-face/Webinar workshop today at NEKLS with public, school and academic librarians.  We decided as a group which breakout sessions to view.

First Library Student Presentation called “Wintry Mix”

• Fairfield University DiMenna-Nyselius Library TechsSupport:  We can request access to http://dnltechsupport.pbworks.com (request access) – Alex, Caitlin and Meghan told us about how they use iPod touches, Evernote, Dropbox and Skype to provide tech support and to document issues.  Definitely something to consider for the NEKLS Tech Team.
• Now we’re hearing about Electronic Retrieval During Disasters, based on the hell that New Orleans went through.  Oh my lord, they wrote notes directly on the children moved from hospital to hospital.  FEMA recognizes that Libraries are needed for a Federal Response – access to resources, services – we are like EMS and healthcare professionals…after the 2009 floods in Cedar Rapids!  Resources: Disaster Information Management Research Center.  Wireless Information Systems for Emergency Responders (WISER) and the NLM Emergency Access Initiative (mostly for medical librarians) and know about the CDC site, too.  Also, have a battery back up – UPS that holds up to 3 hours of power, universal chargers for handheld devices for staff, think about conserving battery power, and make sure you have a back-up dial up connection.  Considering having a smart phone with some health-related apps (MERCK manual or US Army First Aid Manual).
• Making the Most of Twitter with Nicole from OSU – Likes TweetDeck with Chrome to manage her twitter accounts (can follow Twitter and Facebook feeds) and HootSuite.  Post real-time photos using TwitPic.  If you have a Twitter account for your library – consider making a hashtag for your library, start following others and convince people to add your library hashtag on posts about the library – you can also add a twitter feed to your site (this is very easy with our KLOW sites).  People use twitter for news, personal interaction, patron feedback, and a combo of all – use 4-square and set up a Mayor of the Library with recognition on the bulletin board, for example.  Consider setting up a Q&A using twitter and/or polls and then use that feedback to help with planning and decision making.  For fun, try Games like “The Six Word Novel,” writing Haikus and Artwiculate.

First Keynote – Lee Rainie from Pew Internet “Fact Tank” in Washington: Does primary research on the impact of the Internet on people – online digital life.  “State of Mobile Connectivity” discussion for Revolutions since 2000:

1. Internet and Broadband  – Rural, uneducated, ESL and poor are less likely to be Internet users – Digital Divide is still around and as complicated as ever.  Volume of information we are receiving is ever increasing, the speed at which we receive information (especially about topics we are interested in) is increasing, media and virtual spaces are more compelling and people are gatekeepers of the information coming into their lives (not media companies).  Also, we are Content Creators – telling stories, creating culture, interacting (think Harrison) using social networking sites, by sharing photos, creating content tags, ranking/rating, sharing personal creations (think original photos posted on FaceBook), and through personal sites and blogs.
2. Wireless Connectivity – 2005 – Present this took off, along with cell phone ownership.  How does experiencing the Internet on a small screen differ from using a large screen computer with broadband?  Pew doesn’t have the answer for that yet.  We are moving to the Cloud!  There is a struggle between aps and Web sites, but folks use their phones for pictures (76%), texting, browsing (42%), emailing, chatting (35%), making videos, and playing games (34%) and (last year) only 7% used their phones for video calls.  Who has devices? 55% adults own laptops, 50% own DVRs, 45% own MP3 palyers, 42% own game consoles, 7% own eReaders and 6% own tablet computers.  Consequences: Anywhere, on any device at any time – changes sense of place and presence.  Deep connections – still working out norms and etiquette.
3. Social Networking – Half the population of adults (from 0 in 2004 to 47% in 2010) now use social networking!  Young people use Social dashboards (tweetdeck) and have a pervasive awareness with constant monitoring.  We know more about our friends because people share more than ever before – some good and some bad.

So What does this mean for librarians?

• Patrons “exist in a networked media ecology” with “Attention Zones”:
  • Continuous partial attention (all devices on all the time and are open for interruption, which makes it hard to concentrate)
  • Deep dives space – great for people who want to find out in-depth information about a topic, hobby, place, etc. New opportunities and devices to dive as deep into a subject as they want.
  • Info-snacking – People can access ‘stuff’ on their device during short times of inactivity (if you are bored, it’s your own fault).
• “Media Zones”:
  • Social – open for socializing –
  • Immersive – not open for disruptions
  • Streams – constantly streaming information (dip in and dip out as have time)
  • Creative/participatory – Attention of a person in this ‘space’ have different needs than from other ‘spaces’
  • Study/work – narrower vision, but a great place for reference librarians to be!
• Social networks act as “sentry spaces” – people use their networks as a way to filter information by word of mouth, they act as “information evaluators” and help people make assessments about information/businesses, and they act as “forums for action” and urge ‘doing’ because everyone else is ‘doing’ (activism)
• Libraries can be “a node in people’s social networks as they seek info to help them solve problems and meet their needs.”
• Librarians can TEACH new literacies: screen literacy (graphics and symbols), navigation, connections/context, SKEPTICISM, value of “contemplative time” and HOW TO CREATE content (my emphasis…) (I’m a big fan of morphing libraries into places to create content – videos, poems, stories, information, histories, art, music, all things wonderful and that create culture.)
• Librarians can teach ETHICAL behavior in a new world – teach about cyber bullying, spamming, how to be a good citizen in this space. – Librarians as digital life/citizenship coaches (from comments)
• We need to “re-vision our role in a world where much has changed” – access to info, value of info, curating info means more than collections, and creating media and “networked creators should be your allies.”

New Trends in Mobile Technology with Joe Murphy (@libraryfuture):

• Smartphones outsell PCs and Apple reports 10 billion ap downloads!
• This one isn’t holding my attention – sorry.  Gonna go work on something else for a bit.  Follow @hbraum on Twitter to get her notes.

Switched to Libraries and QR Codes used at Kentucky State University

• Assumption: students have smart phones that can scan an QR code.
• Embed them in the catalog
• Use them on a business card
• Future uses and other apps in libraries: Add cods to Library Director – greener alternative (I do wish speakers would quit eating the microphone)
• Mobile Resources page – QR codes for most visited destinations on one single page
• Use codes to help with shelving
• TO DO: Get more information on QR code generator
• Reader’s Advisory purposes – scan the to find read-alikes when you scan the code in a book, add bio info, add subject headings (my idea)
• Scavenger Hunts and self-guided tours as part of orientation – have the QR codes on the shelves and make it a game.  Overcome shortcomings of library signage with QR codes with full descriptions – use it to explain acronyms.  You could also include links to Video clips on code
• To DO: Find and pull out the links in the Q&A (http://guides.boisestate.edu/qrcodes or http://www.hsl.virginia.edu/services/computing/pda/, etc.
• Codes used for “embedded URLs” instead of static text – the code will take you to an outside site, such as quizzes/polls,
• Use for LIBRARY Promotion – push social networking sites, blog, etc. – put the code pushing these sites on all Library promotional materials.
• Use QR codes to link to: frequently used forms (ILL), tutorials, virtual tours, library maps!
• Reference subject guides at the Ref desk and/or in the stacks
• Track usage – get some stats to see how they are working
• Benefits and challenges:
  +’s =  free, lots of info, variety, easy to generate, use with smartphones, free aps.
  -‘s = user ed and awareness, not everyone has a smartphone and printed QR codes can be defaced or mis-printed.
• Apps: i-nigma | blackberry messenger | BeeTagg | NeoReader | Mobio | QuickMark ($$) | Optiscan ($$)
  Software: BarCapture | CamABar (beta) | Firefox mobile barcode add-on | Mobile Barcoes (http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software/) – these programs capture barcodes online and read them.
• How to use it: Use your phone, take a picture of the code, decode and go to the Web site!
• HOMEWORK (our in-house discussion) – how can we use QR codes?
  • Kids book reviews from the online catalog
  • Promotion
  • Signage/virtual tour
  • Equipment inventory – or Audiobook inventory – here is what other pieces are in this Box – list and a picture and instructions – Cabinet QR code
  • Paperless, portable – but have to have a smart phone (or a tablet in the future)
  • Memorial information – On the memorial bookplate, add a QR code with additional information
  • Series information – what’s next in the series, what’s the order
  • Award information – other award winners, interview with the author, etc.
  • “Ask us what this is”  Poster with a big QR code – get the discussion going and help educate people
  • Accelerated Reader information!
  • Software keys in IT –
  • Marketing – posters in the community – on buses
  • Scavenger hunt (it’s like decoder ring)
  • Geocaching? – add more info to the cache itself
  • The Barcode Tattoo – life information, what you do for the rest of your life (great YA book)
  • Add book discussion questions on QR code
  • How much info can they hold? – text box – depends on generator
  • Iron on t-shirts for promotion?
  • codes in the family pictures/Christmas cards
  • child identification – the future of the milk cart 😉
  • New books are coming with QR codes printed on them – goes to a site or blog or store

Fast and Simple Strategies for Librarians learning iPad Web apps and ePubs with Jeremy Kemp

• Usability and interaction design, emerging technology, Web 3.0, Immersive environments (Jeremy’s background)
• Are iPads suitable for a class on developing new software for Librarians? Paid apps iPads: pages, ereader, etc.  Free apps:  iBooks, pandora and netflix (http://techcrunch.com/) – many of these are about book reading and are ‘library friendly’ – Kindle, IMDb, Flixter, Kenote, GoodReader, Pages and iBooks
• Blah blah blah about this San Jose State University class curriculum and competencies.
• Developers used SIGIL and an iOS simulator. (http://developer.apple.com/ipad/sdk/index.html)
• [Insert a bunch of info about the course that was way over my head.]
• Video about ePub ebook format – (pretty interesting explanation of what is contained in an eBook file)
• iPad Today – twit.tv/ipt
• Use Categories for iPads:
  • Field surveys (down with paper surveys)
  • Gaming (more iPhone than iPad),
  • RSS (Flipboard – a FAVE of Heather),
  • pubs,
  • ePub viewers,
  • ILS integrations (Hybrid Forge OPAC integration – overlay?),
  • music (sonos and korg),
  • alternate publishing,
  • ref tools(museum imagery and historic multimedia),
  • lending (new iOS interface from OverDrive) (I wonder how long until Lendle is an app? I bet that’s next on their list of to-dos…)
  • early readers (opportunity to reach children with these tools – (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/books/29kids.html?_r=1)
• Jeremy gave KUDOS for Library Mashups by our Bywater buddy Nicole C. Engard 😉

[End of Day One]