Entries for May 10, 2006

Podcast - Freedman Center & Podcasting Studio

Today, I recorded my very first podcast. I had a discussion about the new podcasting studio at my library and got the thoughts about Library 2.0 from the managers of the Freedman Center within my library. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. My coworkers were very excited to hear about ALA Library 2.0 and look forward to the materials that are shared and created.

Team One Project Draft: Best Practices/Policies For Public Comment on Library And/Or Association Websites

Best Practices/Policies For Public Comment on Library And/Or Association Websites

Client: All types of libraries and/or ALA.

Opportunity: To identify best practices for open comments and conversations on both ALA websites and individual library organizational websites. To explore the promotion of open partnerships and collaborations between library users and association members as partners and collaborators, engaged in a dialog with each other, that promotes individual ownership.

Product/Service: The integration of open commenting using a blog and/or wiki tool, plus other web social communication tools.

Goals:
1. Determine best practices for the utilization of Web 2.0 communication tools.
2. Determine best practices for open commenting with blogs.
3. Determine best practices for open commenting or content creation by wiki tools.

Comic Strip on "2.0"

The Rhymes with Orange comic strip had a great comic on "2.0" in today's newspaper (May 10, 2006). It is not on their web site for two weeks, but I found an online newspaper that posts comic strips.

If the links stop working (since I know how newspapers can be), here is the basics.
Descartes 2.0
I think, therefore I am. (Person writing with a quill pen.)
I think therefore IM. (Person using a laptop.)

What do you hate about wikis?

I just put a post up about wikis on my other blog that I thought the ALAL2 participants might find interesting. It is about what one blogger hated the most about wikis. I was surprised that most of their concerns were about the user's interaction with the interface, rather than the perceived accuracy concerns that the traditional media targets.

What do you hate about wikis?

A Little Madness blog posted a Top Ten list of things hated about wikis.

My summary of the 10:
1. Easier to create poor documentation
2. Syntax of topic names (i.e. WikiWords)
3. Varieties of syntax
4. A step backwords in how we format large documents
5. Poor navigation
6. Lack of structure or tables for data
7. Method of editing and formating text
8. Poor support for versioning
9. No autosave if something bas happens
10. Wiki discussions

I guess I was surprised when it read this list. I was expecting more complaints about the philosophy behind wikis, but most were just about implementation. I think developments are addressing many of these concerns.

(Via: Jeremy Smith's blog, April 19, 2006)

Is U.S. Graduate Education Losing Ground?

The Competition Worries Graduate Programs by Valerie Strauss (Washington Post, Tuesday, April 18, 2006, Page A06) highlights the strengths and growth in U.S. graduate education but addresses the concern that foreign nations are gaining ground.

(Via: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian Blog, April, 18, 2006, Worries About The Future Of Graduate Education)