I was listening to West Virginia Morning on public radio today. One of the segments focused on the blog, abetterwestvirginia.com, and the blogger Jason Keeling. He encouraged bloggers to use West Virginia Day (which is Friday) to focus on all the many positive aspects of the state.
I'm a new resident of West Virginia, and it's nice to hear there's a day that celebrates the state and its people. I like the natural and wild areas in the region. Plus, my coworkers and other people here in the Charleston area have been very nice to me. People are friendly, helpful, and generous.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Arts and Crafts Home for Sale! (Near Philadelphia)
My warm, inviting, and spacious Arts & Crafts house is for sale. It's in the heart of
Contact Anne and Jim Logue, realtors, at 484-620-0155 or http://tinyurl.com/58occ7 (you can see more pictures there, too).
I'm now at WVU in Charleston
I've started work as the library director for the Health Sciences Center of West Virginia University, Charleston Division. I'm excited about the job and am settling in!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Charles Lyons at Computers in Libraries 2008
Going Local in the Library:
Web 2.0, Library 2.0, Local 2.0
Charles Lyons, Business Librarian, University at Buffalo
Some notes from Monday, April 7th:
Google is able to show maps of local areas, as well as various commercial businesses within a particular area (such as barbers). Google can also show local libraries and local news. One can use the advanced news search to look for news using an area code, for example.
The local web is diverse: local search engines, maps, media, blogs, government data, photos, videos, blogs, and local people.
The local web is social: user-generated, participatroy, amateur, civic, grasrooots, and citizen's journalism.
The local web is localized: information about neighborhoods, communities, blocks, streets, and buildings.
The local web is the joining of the real world and the virtual world.
Locally, libraries are providing community information, genealogy information, and so on. But can they do more in using their virtual presence as a local community force like they do with their physical presence?
Yes. Among other things, libraries can:
Become expert users of local resources.
Raise awareness, and assist the community, regarding online local resources.
Broaden the scope of local data collection.
Create local online communities.
Creating local online resources does not have to cost a lot of money.
Web 2.0, Library 2.0, Local 2.0
Charles Lyons, Business Librarian, University at Buffalo
Some notes from Monday, April 7th:
Google is able to show maps of local areas, as well as various commercial businesses within a particular area (such as barbers). Google can also show local libraries and local news. One can use the advanced news search to look for news using an area code, for example.
The local web is diverse: local search engines, maps, media, blogs, government data, photos, videos, blogs, and local people.
The local web is social: user-generated, participatroy, amateur, civic, grasrooots, and citizen's journalism.
The local web is localized: information about neighborhoods, communities, blocks, streets, and buildings.
The local web is the joining of the real world and the virtual world.
Locally, libraries are providing community information, genealogy information, and so on. But can they do more in using their virtual presence as a local community force like they do with their physical presence?
Yes. Among other things, libraries can:
Become expert users of local resources.
Raise awareness, and assist the community, regarding online local resources.
Broaden the scope of local data collection.
Create local online communities.
Creating local online resources does not have to cost a lot of money.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Lee Rainie This Morning at Computers in Libraries 2008
Libraries Solve Problems!
CIL 2008 Monday Morning Keynote Speech
Lee Rainie, Pew Internet and American Life Project
Lee started out thanking librarians for all their support regarding Pew research, and apologized for not fully recognizing their support in the past. He was very enthusiastic and appeared to be very happy to be speaking at CIL.
After discussing some library-related blogs he moved into the main part of his talk. Here are some random notes and data taken from the speech.
From the Industrial Age to the Information Age
Year 2000 internet: Slow and stationery connections; 46% of adults use the internet.
Year 2008 internet: fast and mobile connections; 75% of adults use the internet.
Media ecology was simple a long time ago, but now there are many types of gadgets, products, and displays.
Content Creation
62% of young adult internet users have uploaded photos to the internet.
Pictures have become an important part of communications .
58% of online teens have created their own profile on a social network site like Facebook.
33% of college students keep blogs and regularly post.
54% of them read blogs.
Lee admitted there is some murkiness with these blog statistics as blogs can be incorporated into social networking sites, and some people may not consider such writings as blogs.
19% of online young adults have created an avatar that interacts with others online.
Libraries
53% of American adults have visited a (public?) library in the past year.
Some Takeways and Implications for Librarians
Awareness of our products and services is a public education opportunity for libraries.
Focus on success stories and competence.
Use our patrons as advocates. Get their feedback.
Our "un-patrons" are primed to seek us out.
Aspire to be a node in people's social networks.
Offer our expertise in new literacies.
CIL 2008 Monday Morning Keynote Speech
Lee Rainie, Pew Internet and American Life Project
Lee started out thanking librarians for all their support regarding Pew research, and apologized for not fully recognizing their support in the past. He was very enthusiastic and appeared to be very happy to be speaking at CIL.
After discussing some library-related blogs he moved into the main part of his talk. Here are some random notes and data taken from the speech.
From the Industrial Age to the Information Age
Year 2000 internet: Slow and stationery connections; 46% of adults use the internet.
Year 2008 internet: fast and mobile connections; 75% of adults use the internet.
Media ecology was simple a long time ago, but now there are many types of gadgets, products, and displays.
Content Creation
62% of young adult internet users have uploaded photos to the internet.
Pictures have become an important part of communications .
58% of online teens have created their own profile on a social network site like Facebook.
33% of college students keep blogs and regularly post.
54% of them read blogs.
Lee admitted there is some murkiness with these blog statistics as blogs can be incorporated into social networking sites, and some people may not consider such writings as blogs.
19% of online young adults have created an avatar that interacts with others online.
Libraries
53% of American adults have visited a (public?) library in the past year.
Some Takeways and Implications for Librarians
Awareness of our products and services is a public education opportunity for libraries.
Focus on success stories and competence.
Use our patrons as advocates. Get their feedback.
Our "un-patrons" are primed to seek us out.
Aspire to be a node in people's social networks.
Offer our expertise in new literacies.
I've Arrived at the Conference
I'm very happy. I arrived in the DC area yesterday for the Computers in Libraries conference.
I'm going to do some posts regarding the talks.
I'm going to do some posts regarding the talks.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
2008 Computers in Libraries Conference
I'll be speaking at the Computers in Libraries Conference on Wednesday, April 9th, at 2:45 P.M. with my coworker Barbara Kountouzi from the University of Pennsylvania, Richard Cox from the University of North Carolina, and Lynda Kellam, who is also from the University of North Carolina. We'll be speaking on "Customizing Blackboard." Hope to see you there! Please stop and say hi.
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