SLA Information Technology Division Blog

Why 2.0?

I came across an interesting post made by Steven Harris on his blog about the why of 2.0:

"I think it is really healthy to ask “why” when you think about innovation. I think it is really healthy to do the same when you want to maintain the status quo. Here are some of my responses to, why 2.0?

Information technology is changing. We can let corporations do everything and lead us down paths that we don’t like, or we can take an active role in the design and implementation. We can also give our users more opportunities to provide input. There is no status quo to stand on here.

2.0 is about giving people greater control over the information and the data they want (and have found). It makes sense to give them that power. It doesn’t make sense to withhold it.

2.0 makes doing research and finding things easier and more effective. It provides people with more related data about topics they are interested in. It gives people better results and therefore saves them time (money).

2.0 gives me more data about user behavior and interests. It improves my collection development and curatorial skills. But, in accordance with another old (well, not so old) library principle, I only use data that is anonymously or freely given.

2.0 makes people feel engaged in a process and an organization, in this case libraries. The people I speak of are both the user and the librarian.

2.0 isn’t just a blog and a wiki.

2.0 doesn’t mean library services like collections and reference go away. 2.0 makes the provision of these better.

If 2.0 can make the current beast we call an OPAC go away…it is a good thing."

Technology Adoption and Use

I recently read some of the highlights of the report, Information Seeking Behavior of the Researcher of the Future.  I was not terribly surprised at the finding that the Google generation isn't quite as tech savvy as we thought they were.  You can read that report here:

http://www.bl.uk/news/2008/pressrelease20080116.html

Now, that report is focusing mostly on searching behavior and it seems to be showing that younger generations are using the web a lot, but they're not really understanding it or searching it as well as one might hope.  That's the basic reason that librarians should have a fair amount of job security into the future.  Kids (and this probably applies to older web users as well) have come to view the internet like you would TV, it is ever-present but they don't know how that LCD screen works or how the picture is passed through that cable.

For an interesting take on this issue from a super-web savvy individual, I think it's useful to compare a blog post from Astronomy Cast's Dr. Pamela Gay with the report's findings.

2008 Joe Ann Clifton Student Award submissions - Deadline February 18th

Submissions are now being accepted for the Joe Ann Clifton Student Award, offered by the IT Division of SLA. This award is intended to promote participation in the SLA Annual Conference by an exceptional library science student. The recipient of this award will receive:

• Student membership in SLA for one (1) year.
• Reimbursement for expenses to attend the SLA Annual Conference not to exceed $1,500 and limited to the following:
  • Economy class round-trip airfare to the Annual Conference.
  • Student registration for the Annual Conference (including the IT Business Meeting).
  • Lodging during the conference.
  • Transportation during the conference.
  • Meals during the conference.
• Recognition and presentation of the winning paper at the Annual Business Meeting of the IT Division. The winner must be present to accept the award at the IT Business Meeting. The winning paper will be published in b/ITE, the Division newsletter.

Submission Requirements:

• The topic of the paper should pertain to the use of information technology. A paper which addresses a topic in a practical rather than a theoretical manner is preferred.
• Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited MLS or MIS program at the time of the award competition. Previous winners are not eligible for the award.
• Entries may be a paper which the applicant has written or is preparing for a class but has not been published. Only one paper per applicant will be accepted.
• IT reserves the right not to award the prize if it is the opinion of the judges that no submission is worthy of the award.
• IT will retain first publication rights of the winning paper.

***The deadline for submission is February 18, 2008***

E-mail your paper to Kathy Weyand, IT Membership and Awards Chair, at kathy.weyand@munimae.com. Please include "SLA IT Student Award" in the subject line.

E-mail is preferred, but entries may be mailed to:
Kathy Weyand
IT Systems Coordinator
MuniMae LLC
10475 Park Meadows Dr, #500
Littleton, CO 80124
Direct: 303.325.1031

2008 SLA IT Division Innovation Challenge

The SLA IT Division is announcing the 2008 Innovation Challenge.  Encouraging SLA members to utilize technology to create an innovative solution for the special information environment, the event runs from January - December 1, 2008.  The prize of $1200 will help the winner cover the costs of attending the 2009 annual conference.  Visit the SLA IT Division website for more information. 

News from the Leadership Summit

This morning, Stephen Abram announced that the Association will be a place for our members to learn and experiment with Web 2.0 tools.  And we'll have an opportunity to all do the SLA implementation of 23 Things.

If that is not enough, we're also going to get members involved in Second Life (and effort that I'm heading). 

Why is the Association doing this?   These types of tools are not going away and our clients are using them.  It is in our best interest to understand these tools, so that when our organizations adopt them, we aren't playing catch-up.

Thinking specifically of Second Life, there are 8 year old kids using virtual worlds as well as corporations (for training as well as virtual trade shows).  With more than 50 virtual worlds already in existence, this technology is here to stay.  That are even library science programs that are using virtual worlds (e.g., Sloodle).  Although virtual worlds are not for everyone, I do believe we all should experience them, so we can talk intelligently about them.

Look for more information about all this in the coming months and get ready to participate.  The time commitment will be manageable (~15 minutes a day).  I hope that members of the IT Division will jump in, participate, and help others. Many of these tools are already familiar to us, so we may be able to act as mentors to those who are just learning the tools.

Yahoo! Tech's Last Gadget Standing

A recent competition hosted by Yahoo! Tech highlighted ten gadgets that would help redefine how things get done.  An audience of nearly 500 members selected the top gadget by means of an applause-o-meter.  The winning gadget was the Eye-Fi card.  The wireless memory card allows the user to automatically upload pictures from their digital camera to their computer or to their favorite photo sharing site. 

One product that caught my eye was the ASUS Eee PC.  It's a simple computer that is priced at just under $400.  With Open Office installed, you can create Office  compatible documents, spreadsheets, and presentation files.  For those interested in making VoIP calls, a link to Skype is provided.  If you want to learn more, I've provided a link to Laptop Magazine's computer review and Ultra Mobile Geek's blog video that tests the computer out with Skype's video calling service.   

SLA Facebook Group—nearly 20 months later

One of the questions I get asked often—why is the SLA Facebook Group “SLA Members on Facebook”? Isn’t that a bit redundant? Of course we’re on Facebook.

My answer to that is pretty simple. When I created the group, around the time of the 2006 SLA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Facebook was open only to college and university-affiliated individuals. And of that relatively small segment of the population, even fewer of them were librarians and information professionals, and still even fewer of them were members of SLA. So when I started the group, it was for a tiny number of people. It was a novelty back then to be on Facebook and to find another SLA colleague there. This was long before the days of Scrabulous and Zombies, even before the News Feed and advertising and applications of any kind. And it was before ALA created their Facebook group, something which I take pride in SLA having done first.

Since the summer of 2006 when only a handful of academic librarian colleagues were in the SLA Facebook group, the group has exploded to over 600 members in all types of libraries and information centers. The group is active with wall posts and discussions and events—several members have even posted conference photos. It’s fun to watch this group continually expand and morph into something useful—more than just the novelty it was when it began.

Yahoo and OpenID

An article in Wired details Yahoo's agreement to become an OpenID provider by the end of January. With Yahoo's beta program expected to be launched January 30th, Yahoo could potentially increase the number of OpenID accounts in existence to 368 million.

For those who don't understand OpenID, it essentially does away with having to create a unique username and password every time you join a site.  Want to learn more?  Here is a link to an excellent screencast on Youtube that will provide you with more information on how you can use the technology. 

SLA-Seattle - hotel registration is open

I may be late on the news, but I learned this morning that hotel registration for Seattle was now up on the SLA website. Since hotel rooms usually go fast, I would suggest you ponder your options early.

A deposit is again required this year. Please see http://www.sla.org/content/Events/conference/ac2008/travelhotel/index.cfm .

A beta homepage for LinkedIn

For those of you who are members of LinkedIn, you may have seen a new homepage when you logged in.  Within this beta version, you'll be able to add customizable modules, receive more updates from your professional network and receive news articles that are popular among your colleagues.  According to this article on TechCrunch, these changes were implemented to provide LI users with a reason to return to the site more often.  Increasing user engagement and page views would help LI better compete with Facebook and improve their ad revenue potential. 

One Laptop Per Child Project to extend to the US in 2008

According to an article in PC World, the One Laptop Per Child Projcet (OLPC) is slated to be launched in the United States in 2008.  Originally criticized for not including needy students within the U.S., the group plans to roll out the project with the help of state governments.  According to Negroponte, the project chairman, this will provide poor children in the U.S. with an ability to communicate with other children in developing nations, thereby expanding their horizons.

I think this is an excellent idea.  While many children in the U.S. have access to computers and the Internet, there are still those whose access remains limited due to their family's financial situation.   The use of the computers might even help these students improve their scholastic performance. 

Managing your time with technology

I came across an interesting article on MSN this morning that takes a look at how people  manage their time with tools like Facebook and Basecamp.  While targeted towards college readers, the article provides helpful tips that can benefit anybody interested in using technology to improve their time management. 

SARC IV: The Surreal Landscape, Feb. 27-29, Florida

For those who are looking for an educational opportunity AND a break from cold weather, you might want to consider this SLA regional conference.

~ The Surreal Landscape ~
Information Professionals Mastering the Challenges
of Time & Space
SARC IV
February 27-29, 2008
Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park
St. Petersburg, FL

The Florida and Caribbean Chapter, SLA welcomes you to Florida in February!   SARC IV, The Surreal Landscape, kicks off Wednesday, February 27, 2008 with an opening reception held on the patio outside our meeting rooms at the Carillon Park Hilton in scenic St. Petersburg, Florida.  Sessions begin Thursday morning, February 28 with Stephan Abram, SLA's President, giving the opening keynote address and continuing with Graham Farmelo bringing us the Friday keynote address.   Sessions will tackle and discuss the challenges facing information professionals in the 21st Century.  Join us on Thursday evening,  to continue our surreal discussion with a tour of the Salvador Dali Museum. 

Visit the SARC IV website for program, registration, hotel, and vendor information.  Early Bird Registration ends soon (January 15, 2008)

Come join your colleagues in St. Petersburg!   

Other speakers and panels include:

• Ruth Fuller--Collaboration – Erasing the Lines in the Sand for effective information gathering and resource sharing
• Robert Weigner--Digital-Only ‘Libraries’ and the Services to Support Them
• Robert Hudson -- Electronic Legal Information
• Paulette Hassier--Collaboration between business, science, profit/non-profit and information  professionals-breaking the barriers
• Ilene Strongin-Gary--Adopting DSpace for a Corporation
• Jeffrey Wolfe--NASA Libraries and Inmagic
• Marcia Abrams (Cadence Group) -The Lost Art of Interviewing: How to Hire without Regret
• Catherine Lavalle-Welch--Live Library Instruction for Distance Learners
• Dale Prince-I only wiki socially: Using social networking tools to inform, entice, and adjoin
• Robert Stengard-Olliges--Booming Biotech: Are  Libraries Ready?
• Diane Austin - Information Architecture
• Graham Farmello - The Library: the Biographer’s greatest asset and greatest threat
• Barbie Keiser/Ulla Strickler-Mars and Venus for Information Professionals:  Are your stakeholders hearing the message you intended to send?
• Rebecca Vargha-Core Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century
• Stephen Abram-- Specials on the Edge

Panel Discussions:

CHANGED-CREATING NEW LIBRARIES FROM SCRATCH AND GOING DIGITAL-- Barbara Shearer, FSU Medical Library (moderator); Inez Dinwoodie, MITRE Corporation;  Deborah K. Balsamo, EPA National Library Network)

SECONDLIFE IN THE LIBRARY AND INSTRUCTION WORLD -Panel Moderator:  Nancy Kellett, Dirac Science Library FSU (moderator); Joe Clark, Center for Teaching and Learning, FSU; Meg Kribble, Nova Southeastern Law School; Andrew Sanderbeck, People Connect Institute

Mobile Phone Projectors

An article in PC Pro states that mobile phones with built-in mini projectors should be launched by this year.  According to a 3M spokesperson, the prototype projector is capable of displaying an image of up to 50 inches.  The projector is said to be able to run on a standard cell phone battery for up to two hours.  While the company envisions its use for impromptu business presentations, it might be possible to share video with others using the device. 

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