Jack's Blog for LIBR 559M (3)

I was excited and nervous about the complex issues in this class. I was introduced to new ideas: SNS, affordances, aggregators, and endless social networking tools that I have never heard before, such as NetVibes, Wimba, Wallwisher, Glog, Dehood, Google SearchSttories, Yahoo Pipe, Second Life, I also had a perspective of their applications to libraries, and it was so interesting to consider the affordances and constraints of so many social media tools, how and why some of these succeed and others don’t. Although I have a superficial and rushed understanding of them, and was absent from some discussions, I have learned about social media and new learning styles in the digital age.

In addition, I liked working collaboratively so that each person can bring his/her talents to a group assignment. I truly appreciated someone else taking the lead. It seems that our instructor is a leader who refines our progress, but many classmates are my instructors in discussions. The pressure to share with the class makes me more anxious than usual, and I was able to digest everything as much as I could. At the same time, I need to get acclimatized to various topics and thoughts. Especially, I must constantly adjust my opinions to the group preference while being inspired to explore other avenues of topics in ways I had never considered. Our final group project is a good example, titled A Web 2.0 Service for Teen Fans of Graphic Novels-Using Social Media to Create Community and Encourage Reading among Teen Fans of Graphic Novels.

What is more, there remains some insight for career development. For instance, we talked about Web 2.0 to 2015, Web 3.0, 3D, and Second Life (SL). Although SL is still not widely adopted by libraries, it interests me to keep learning about new social tools. Having this experience and enthusiasm for newly emerging tools will prepare me for future professional opportunities. After learning about social tools in “create something” thread, I really wanted to try out tools for fun or practical demands in the near future.

During this class, I used GoogleDocs and Vista chatroom for our final project. Although I had some difficulties with Wimba, I was less nervous after our formal group presentation and successfully chatted with Sarah LaMoy. I feel more comfortable with the virtual environment and the online learning style. Certainly, it is necessary for my future professional work. As Sarah LaMoy says, “some of the best learning, I believe, develops a deep sense of responsibility among teams and a respectful peer-to-peer reciprocity.” I have the same feeling and enjoyed Michael Wesch’s lecture on YouYube, and the experience of sharing and learning with peers. It looks like “a showcase for diverse talents and critical thinking”. This has special meaning for me as a non-native English speaker, because to some extent I make sense of how other native students think, talk, and develop their ideas, and how the instructor implements his complex hybrid pedagogy: starting participation in examining the glossaries of social media, gradually moving to collaboration and eventually to creation and perspective for the future (Dean’s posting).

In a word, this class introduced me to dabble in a new learning style because social media tools help grow my connections with many people and enormous exciting new ideas. It also opens up a new avenue to learn and communicate with outside, and I am starting my exploration and new personal journey now.

Nowadays, more and more ecological issues draw attention from around the world, such as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and global warming. I think social networks are a great platform to spread the importance of taking care of the Earth. Greg Byerly in his article A Whole Lot of Green: Web Sites for Going Green points out many good ideas and web resources associated with “Green”, from the Environmental Protection Agency to Building Green Buildings (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-LEED), especially social networks can be applied to Environmental Education for Kids. Young students can share their knowledge and useful information on sustainable lifestyle and taking actions with each other by using blogs, Facebook, and so on. This pattern is an attractive way to get younger children and adults involved in the “going green” movement. This is a crucial topic which can raise resonance among any group people and communities. Anyone can join this discussion to push governments to take steps to deal with environmental issues. Obviously, social networks are a great means for all people to speak out aloud their concerns for protecting environment and to generate campaigns towards “go green”.

Today I am asking myself why do I blog? Just for school? In my opinion, the blog looks like a personal diary or an improvisational essay. The only difference is that the content is public, not private. I can record my thoughts whenever I want and invite others to share and discuss our common interests. At the same time, I can read about other persons’ original ideas. Yes, this is my plain view of the blog.

However, as a future librarian, why should we consider blogs? Meredith Farkas in her article titled Finding Your Voice-blogging for career advancement and networking is a good read and recommend it MLIS students. Everyone can open a blog, as a librarian, but we must look at it critically and scholarly, as Farkas states, “the best blog posts spark a conversation, so writing things that are thoughtful and thought-provoking will attract readers.…Beyond posting interesting content regularly, a great way to increase your visibility is to take part in conversations across the blogosphere.”

In the meantime, keep in mind that librarians’ blogs are supposed to be authentic, passionate, and thoughtful to protect our professional reputation. Further, more and more libraries use social media as library blogs. I agree with Farkas’s viewpoint that library blogs are the platforms “to blend the personal and professional seamlessly”. In this sense, library blogs are more likely extended resources for users.

Finally, I share some of the same ideas as Shannon Simpson. “How to keep blogs fun and informative? How to balance putting in enough personality while remaining professional and distinguishing.” Indeed, there is a dilemma which confuses many bloggers.

Last week, I read a few articles (Cheryl Peltier-Davis; Michael: Libraries and Sustainability in Developing Countries) which give me some hints, could we view social network tools as a positive way to overcome difficulties in libraries? It is well known that libraries are facing daunting challenges such as technology advancement, moving toward a collaborative culture, budget shortfalls, reaching more users and increased information demands. For academic libraries, librarians are dealing with rising journal costs while budgets for resources and staff remain steady or decline. Librarians promote Web 2.0 tools to be service provisions to patrons (blog, library collections, social tag clouds in library catalogs), professional communications (second life, virtual meetings) (Sue O’Dell, 2010), mobile library project for mobile devices, 24/7 Ask a Librarian virtual reference service, building lasting partnerships within the international library community. In brief, librarians must bear in mind how to efficiently implement social networks to the library services, internal and external communications so as to timely provide what users want at a very low cost.

References:
Sue O’Dell. (2010). Opportunities and Obligations for Libraries in a Social Networking Age: A Survey of Web 2.0 and Networking Sites. Journal of Library Administration, 50 (3), 237-251.

This week we are discussing web/library 2.0, and our group project is “Tag clouds in the OPAC”. Actually, there are so many issues I don’t know about although this is a hot topic since I started my program at SLAIS. I am pleased to take more than a month to learn this topic. As information professionals, why must we learn social networks? How can we integrate them into the library services? In the articleLibrarians Face Online Social Networks, Breeding states, “The natural early adopters tend to include two groups: the millennials that gravitate to all forms of media and communication and those with techie tendencies.”(p. 30)

Online social networks are widespread among web users of all generations. Many social tools exceed their original purposes, and have added more features and captured more users. For example, Flickr is a great social networking tool since its start as an initial photo sharing platform. Likewise, Facebook is not limited to students and serves as a comfortable venue for all sorts of conversations and interactions such as wall postings, status changes and tagging. (Breeding, 2007) While observing the fact that social networks are becoming mainstream, librarians should get involved in building interconnections within the virtual community to discover ways to improve library services and reach out to users who walk away from OPACs. In this sense, putting Tag clouds onto the existing traditional OPAC is an ambitious attempt of enhancing user-friendly library 2.0. In doing so, we must bear in mind, only when librarians strategically plan and implement Web 2.0 technologies into library’s innovations, library 2.0 can have the expected impact on users and the library evolution. (Cvetkovic, 2009)

These days I am almost crazy because I have never been exposed to so many words in social media in such a short time. However, after glancing at these terms, I feel it’s important to analyze the affordances and constraints of different tools to get an overall understanding of social media; it allows us to grasp how users interact with each other in the digital age. Especially after reading Stamatiou (etc.)’s paper entitled Twitter: Design of Online Communities, I have a clear understanding of Twitter, although I just opened my first Twitter’ account. Therefore, I will talk about Twitter here.

Affordances:
1) Speed: users can text a message in seconds and get updates. It is more mobile-focused and a way of “fast and wide spread of word-of-mouth”. (Kwak’s slide, 2010, p.63.)
2) Real-time, “Bloggers use Twitter as a tool to enhance the popularity and reach of their blogs.” (Stamatiou, 2008, p.10)
3) By answering “what are you doing?” users can keep up with current news and friends, which “makes it ideal for scheduling and managing impromptu events.” (Stamatiou, 2008, p.25)
4) Selectiveness. Users can select their followers and block followers who don’t have activities to share.
5) Simplicity: only requires a username and email address to open an account. Users may customize their profile in various ways including changing background colours or images, uploading avatars, and altering text, sidebar, links and other features. (Stamatiou, 2008, p.7)
6) Marketing tool to reach a large public directly.

Constraints:
1) Tweets are limited to 140 followers, so Twitter’s capability is small.
2) Because no filters control the type of content users may tweet, it may result in “vulgar and explicit language” (Stamatiou, 2008, p.8), and users are sometimes bothered by offenders.
3) Most users’ profiles and tweets are public, and “it does not stop unwanted viewers” (Stamatiou, 2008, p.9). As a result, it raises some concerns about privacy.
4) Due to the simple structure and features, Twitter does not have any explicit gathering places to focus on a certain topic (Stamatiou, 2008, p.12), just about any timely topics.

In addition, some people are skeptical about Twitter’s social network role, and they debate Twitter connections are not reciprocated and see Twitter as an Anti-Social Network. Jordan McCollum points out in her blog, “based on the survey by Korea’s Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, more than two-thirds of Twitter users (68%) are not followed by a single person they follow”.

Likewise, Frederic Lardinois states in her blog- “Study: Twitter Is Not a Very Social Network”, “Yahoo 360 has an 84% reciprocation rate, even Flickr has more than three times the reciprocation rate of Twitter-68%. Twitter, then, appears to be less of a social interaction sphere and more of a news broadcasting medium.” Lardinois mentions that “According to a group of researchers at Korea’s Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Twitter is not a very social network. After analyzing over 41 million user profiles and 1.47 billion follower/following relationships, the researchers concluded that only 22% of all connections on Twitter are reciprocal. On Flickr, this number is closer to 68% and on Yahoo 360 it’s 84%. The large majority (78%) of connections between users on Twitter are one-way relationships.” “Unlike most social networks, following on Twitter is not mutual. Someone who thinks you’re interesting can follow you, and you don’t have to approve, or follow back.” (Kwak’s slide, p. 7) Apparently, with regard to Twitter as a social networking tool, it seems to be controversial.

References:

Kwak, Haewoon; Lee, Changhyun; Park, Hosung (2010). What is Twitter, a Social Network or a News Media? July 17th, 2010 Access at http://www.slideshare.net/haewoon/what-is-twitter-a-social-network-or-a-news-media-3922095

Stamatiou, Paul; McCree, Jarryd; Marshall, Taneshia and Robertson, Matthew (2008). Twitter: Design of Online Communities. July 16, 2010 Access at http://paulstamatiou.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/cs4803doc_twitter_paper.pdf

This topic is written by me and my study buddy, Maria T. who is from the library school at the University of Alberta (UofA). We worked together this term for the social media glossary. I feel we did a decent job. So, I am posting it to my personal blog to store it permanently.

Mobile Computing

1) Update and refine term (in this case – create an entry)

While there are numerous definitions for Mobile Computing, there seems to be general agreement that the term involves the use of portable technologies that enable the user to carry out the usual computing functions while on the move.

Cuddy (2009, p.3) defines Mobile computing as “using a computing device while mobile” because it portable. PC Magazine states that “mobile computing implies wireless transmission, but wireless transmission does not necessarily imply mobile computing.” That is to say, a computing device can be used to browse Websites through wireless Internet connectivity while users are moving, just like you can use your cell phone to call someone as long as your cell phone can receive signal.

The term mobile computing devices is somewhat generic and can include a range of handheld computing devices from mobile/cellular phones, to iPads, that have wireless Internet capability.

Affordances:

• Users can surf the Internet as well as download and view images, access information anywhere.
• Gives users much more convenient and efficient services.
• Users can achieve real and simultaneous communications.

Drawbacks limit usage of mobile services according to Siau and Shen’ statement (2006, p. 95-97).

• Mobile networks suffer some limitations such as a lower bandwidth, longer delays, and poorer connection stability.
• The network incompatibility impedes the development of user-friendly interfaces and graphical applications for mobile devices.
• Mobile handsets are also limited in computational power, memory and disk capacity, battery life, and surf-ability infrastructure constraints, security concerns, and user distrust.

2) Examples of mobile computing in library and information studies

Academic libraries such as the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) post QR codes (a specialized bar code) at key areas of the library (e.g., next to various pieces of technology like self-serve checkout stations). Library users can take a photo of the QR code with their Web-enabled mobile device and use it to access information such as fact sheets, instructional videos to support their use of library services.

Progress is being made in the health information sector as librarians and other information professionals strive to provide timely services to patients, physicians, insurers and suppliers at the point of need. For example, the National Library of Medicine is involved in numerous projects for mobile devices, including Mobile Medline Plus and Pub Med for Hand Held Devices

Other examples of mobile computing applications include:

• Citation software such as RefMobile from RefWorks
• Chat reference via Skype Mobile
• Library catalogue and library account information

3) Why we selected this term

It is timely for libraries to consider how to extend access to library resources and services to users of mobile devices. This is an opportunity to provide reference services and information literacy instruction remotely instead of being tethered to an information desk.

Additional Reading:

Oder, Norman. (2004). Is Ubiquitous Wireless Coming? Library Journal, November 15, 129 (19): 14-15; (AN 15107659). Demonstrates an inspiring perspective for wireless Internet connectivity.

University Technology Sydney Library. QR Codes and the Mobile Web. http://www.slideshare.net/MissSophieMac/qr-codes-and-the-mobile-web

Mobile Computing Discussion @ UVic Libraries. Rich’s Random Thoughts Blog – http://richmccue.com/2010/06/01/mobile-computing-discussion-uvic-libraries/

References:

Adar, E. (2004), ‘Usage Patterns for Cameraphone Driven Moblogs’, http://www.hpl.hp.com/research/idl/people/eytan/moblog/index. html (14 July 2005).

Cuddy, Colleen. (2009). Mobile Computing. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, Jan-Mar, 6 (1): 64-68; DOI:10.1080/15424060802705301; (AN 36449727).

Hall, J. (2002), ‘From Weblog to Moblog’, TheFeature, 21 November, http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=24815&ref=1858826 (14 July 2005).

RefWorks. RefMobile. Accessed July 17, 2010, from http://www.refworks.com/content/products/refmobile/content.asp

Siau, Keng and Shen, Zixing. (2006). Mobile healthcare informatics. Medical Informatics & the Internet in Medicine, June, 31(2): 89-99; DOI: 10.1080/14639230500095651; (AN 21193840).

Skype Limited. Skype Mobile. Accessed July 17, 2010 from http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-mobile/download/

This blog is used to communicate with all the people who are taking or interested in LIBR 559 M–Social Media for Information Professionals. I would like to share any ideas about social media tools together with you.

Hello all! I am ZhiZhong Chang but you can call me Jack. I started my MLIS program at SLAIS at UBC in January 2009. I have two MA degrees, specializing in Japanese studies at Jilin University in China and history of international relations at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Before coming to Canada, as a Japanese-Chinese translator, interpreter, editor and researcher, I had been working for the State Information Center in Beijing for six years. I was at Kokugaguin University in Tokyo for over a year as a visiting researcher. Based on my academic background, my ideal career is to be a subject specialist of East Asian Studies (China and Japan). So far I haven’t had adequate professional work experience in library settings except for a volunteer position at Queenswood Library in Victoria and a practicum at the University of Victoria Libraries. However, I am still looking for opportunities where employers can make use of my language abilities (Japanese and Chinese) and research background (East Asian Studies-Japan and East Asia).

I dabbled in social media in LIBR 500 (Foundations of Information Technology) in the first term using Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, Blogs, YouTube, and so on. I was interested in LIBR 559M after Dean’s workshop and he inspired me to learn more about social media. Along with my studies, I feel social media is more and more useful to my professional work, wherever I end up working after graduation. Today, this opportunity is here. I look forward to getting to know all of you and delving into this topic to get an idea of social media tools.