Connecting Librarian

Life and blogging have not been conducive to each other lately. So while I am trying to get my head around some ideas that I will eventually write about, I decided that I would refer my readers to some of the great reads that I have enjoyed lately on a variety of topics. I highly recommend that you check them all out.

However, please note that having decided on this as a blog entry, that I will have to do this again, as some of the great reads I have enjoyed, I can’t quite lay my hands on at present. Therefore, consider this part 1.

“Future of public libraries” from Tim Rogers at InfoCommuner gives a very people oriented look at the future of public libraries in a digital age. Very nicely done and very relevant and just a step or two further from what we already do.

For those who are wondering about, but not necessarily waiting for, Windows Vista to arrive (formerly known as Longhorn), check out the review by APC Mag. I was going to give Vista a total miss, but now I am not so sure, as there are some very nice inclusions. See what you think.

Peter Jacso editorialised about Informed and Underinformed Librarians, emphasising the importance of keeping on top of things in all aspects of our work, not just in technology.

Wendy Boswell at Lifehacker gives a quick and useful lesson on How to search the Invisible Web. Some very quick and easy hints for anyone who searches the Internet.

For those just learning about blogging and bloggers (like me), Comscore has produced a research report on Behaviors of the Blogosphere, an exploration of weblog audiences. Very interesting.

And last but not least, a great blog entry on Wikis (after all, it refers back to my previous entry on Wikipedia ) from CW at Curtin Uni in WA.

There is so much great information out there, freely available, to help us all do the best we can for our library users. Why not make the most of it!

Before talking about Wikipedia, for those of you who don’t know what a Wiki is, here’s the description straight from the source, Wiki.org.

“The simplest online database that could possibly work.

Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.”

I use Wikis on one of my gaming sites, there are wikis being used for group collaboration on projects and in professions and even on library websites. A very useful tool.

Wikipedia, is an online collaborative Wiki encyclopedia, where entries are produced not by appointed knowledge specialists, but by anyone who wants to contribute. It is free to access and edit and at present, the English version (there are versions in 9 other languages) contains over 800,000 articles.

The debate has been raging over Wikipedia on several fronts. An October 2005 CNet review gave it a rating of 6.3. It achieved this average rating because CNet belives it is “Vulnerable to vandalism; some Wikipedia sections still under construction; lack of kids’ resources; uninspiring interface; demands Web access”.

Funnily enough, the users who reviewed Wikipedia on the same webpage, gave an average rating of 8.1. As some users pointed out, there is an offline version (wow!) and its cons as CNet sees them, can also be strengths. Being vulnerable to vandalism also means that anyone can edit and this can be a positive thing. Studies have been done including the smallscale Isuzu experiment, with people editing in false information and within a few hours at the most, it was corrected. There are checks and balances in place for vandalism.

This is not to say that Wikipedia is totally accurate - I don’t believe it is, nor can it be. But then again, neither is Encyclopaedia Britannica, the one tome to which all encyclopedias aspire to be.

The Guardian Unlimited tested Wikipedia using their panel of experts to review subjects in their fields. Out of the 7 reviewers, there was a 0, 5, two 6’s, two 7’s and an 8. The main criticisms were not surprisingly - inaccuracy but then writing style!

As for under construction, that can be an advantage also. As Steven Cohen pointed out at his “What’s Hot & New in RSS, Blogs and Wikis” session at Internet Librarian 2005 (as noted by Dave’s Blog), no other encyclopedia had information immediately available on Hurricane Katrina.

You may have gathered by now, that I am a fan. I am becoming more of a fan everyday, especially as I do internet searches and see that Wikipedia comes out in the top results more and more often.

Wikipedia has mixed support amongst librarians. Some berate it as inaccurate and as not an expert authored source, which is true. Others are fans for the same reasons I am and more. There is much being published about teens and their 2 way involvement in the internet. Will Richardson in his IL05 Keynote (
as blogged by Jenny at Shifted Librarian) explained that he loves Wikipedia because it encourages the teens to interact with the content, question it and research, not take it at a face value because it’s in print.

I am a fan because it gives me a heads up when I am looking for information on a subject with which I may not be familiar. Its free, its easy to access and although I know it’s not going to be entirely accurate, much will be and I will verify it with other sources. But more importantly for me as a reference librarian, it gives me a familiarity with the subject in question and arming me with that information, it acts as a launching pad to find more.

Kudos to the contributors at Wikipedia, I appreciate your time and effort in helping to provide a great source of information on a wide range of topics. As for the critics, if they stopped just criticising and took part in ensuring the content was accurate (and well-written) it would be even better!

I didn’t go to the Internet Librarian conference in the US, but I got plenty out of it thanks to the faithful bloggers who attended.

Michael, from Tame the Web was a presenter, but also a very enthusiastic attendee, who summed up the key points for him. You can check them out at Tame the Web.

The things that stood out for me were:

• There are enthusiastic staff out there, like me, who are interested in new technologies and serving their users and are keen to link the two up
• That I am doing the right thing in keeping in touch with technological changes. In doing so, I can help my service and my users ensure that we are not left behind - especially with everything changing so dramatically and so quickly
• Playing with new technology is not optional, it is essential

Elizabeth Lawley summarised Mary Ellen Bates’ search tips talk at
mamamusings. Mary Ellen Bates is a legend in the field - I attended a training day with her in Melbourne last year and it was a huge eye opener for me, as well as everyone around me.

From her list of highlights, the following were valuable to me:

• The creative commons is another source for images, audio and tools
• Ask Jeeves allows you to create webliographies
• Use other searchers experience, via Google Answers
• Search podcasts
• Wikipedia is a legitimate source to use (more on that in a future post)
• Find deep web content through blogs (what an awesome idea!)

There was so much more about Web 2.0 and social applications (more later), but the most classic thing I have come across so far, was from Lee Rainey’s keynote as blogged on Dave’s blog. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), becoming more commonplace in libraries, is already being used extensively in transport to keep track of shipments. That much I knew. What I didn’t know, is that you can get golf balls with RFID now too! I will have to get some for my dad!