Monday, May 25, 2015
My Joomla Adventure?
You'll notice I put a question mark after the title, because I'm not sure you could really call it an adventure; maybe more like a nightmare. I think everything that could have gone wrong did. But since I have zero experience with any type of CMS, I count myself lucky to have created anything at all. I had to submit two support tickets and I chatted with about four different support team members, one of whom was called a "support guru". I shed a few tears along the way, but I was eventually able to create some menus, insert some images, and install the JCE extension as well as the Akeeba backup. I figured out the template background, but not the Google font. I changed the font in my articles, and inserted some links the old-fashioned way. With lots more time, a whole lot of patience, and a lot more knowledge, I might be able to master Joomla, but my stress level at the present time was a big hindrance to that.
Joomla Woes
Now that I'm on a first name basis with the Joomla support staff...I'll bet they ran when they saw my name come up in the chat box! I have had many issues with this assignment, but I don't blame it on anyone but me. I see just how far behind I am in the technology world, and I'm not sure I'll be able to make up the ground lost. Very trying experience for me.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Observations
I would like to make some observations about the conference I attended that may or may not have some bearing on our current discussion topics. I actually tried to get out of going when I realized that the start date for this class was just days before we were to leave for the conference, but I'm actually very glad my director talked me into going. A couple of experiences have application for the conversations we've been engaging in.
As I was glancing at the schedule of presenters, one topic stood out immediately: "Purposeful Use of Facebook and Twitter in an Academic Library: Strategies, Policies, engagements, and Impressions". How neat is that? The conclusion reached by this individual's library was that the effort to participate in a social media program was definitely worthwhile. This decision was backed up by the increase in activity that was realized after restructuring their existing program.
A highlight of the gathering came at the end of a long day of sessions and various activities. A faculty member at the host university gave a piano concert. He played with great intensity and feeling. He literally made the piano sing. I couldn't help but make an application for librarianship. This man used his tool, in this case the piano, to entertain, uplift, and inspire the audience. Had we been listening to the same music on a CD or a mobile device, I venture to say the experience wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable. Why? Because we wouldn't have witnessed his facial expressions, technique, and the heart he put into his performance. This live performance was emotionally charged and engaging.
Similarly, we as librarians have a vast arsenal of tools at our disposal for helping students, but we can't lose sight of how much more can be brought to the table by "live" encounters. Our nonverbal cues that make us approachable, our technique used in reference interviews, and the passion we have for our jobs can make for rewarding experiences for our users.
That's not to say that we can't accomplish the same objectives with mobile technologies and such like, but we will have to make a conscious effort to make these tools "sing" and give them a human touch.
As I was glancing at the schedule of presenters, one topic stood out immediately: "Purposeful Use of Facebook and Twitter in an Academic Library: Strategies, Policies, engagements, and Impressions". How neat is that? The conclusion reached by this individual's library was that the effort to participate in a social media program was definitely worthwhile. This decision was backed up by the increase in activity that was realized after restructuring their existing program.
A highlight of the gathering came at the end of a long day of sessions and various activities. A faculty member at the host university gave a piano concert. He played with great intensity and feeling. He literally made the piano sing. I couldn't help but make an application for librarianship. This man used his tool, in this case the piano, to entertain, uplift, and inspire the audience. Had we been listening to the same music on a CD or a mobile device, I venture to say the experience wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable. Why? Because we wouldn't have witnessed his facial expressions, technique, and the heart he put into his performance. This live performance was emotionally charged and engaging.
Similarly, we as librarians have a vast arsenal of tools at our disposal for helping students, but we can't lose sight of how much more can be brought to the table by "live" encounters. Our nonverbal cues that make us approachable, our technique used in reference interviews, and the passion we have for our jobs can make for rewarding experiences for our users.
That's not to say that we can't accomplish the same objectives with mobile technologies and such like, but we will have to make a conscious effort to make these tools "sing" and give them a human touch.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
"The Piano Man"
No, not Billy Joel. Dr. Charles Rix from Oklahoma Christian University gave a superb piano concert tonight. He played Mozart, Lizst, and Ravel. It was a perfect ending to an inspiring day talking and collaborating with some of the best folks around-librarians!
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Wiki Who?
Alas, another technology I know very little about. My knowledge of a wiki is limited to Wikipedia, so in order to get a good grasp on the wiki concept and its varied uses, I consulted the Sodt and Summey (2009) article as well as the Munoz (2012) article. I chose to focus on the mentions of their potential for use in an academic library. The possibilities range from internal use by library staff for project collaboration (Stodt and Summey, 2009) to the publishing of materials for student use.
The library I would be creating a wiki for is a small academic library that serves a population composed of undergraduate, non-traditional adult, and graduate students, many of whom are distance learners. Funds for this project are virtually non-existent due to budget constraints. There are eight full-time staff members and two part-time employees.
The goal of the wiki would be to provide a dedicated space for the posting of relevant information for students in regards to their classes. The emphasis would be placed on highlighting library resources available for class assignments and research. The wiki would also need to provide the ability for students and faculty members to comment and leave feedback.
After answering the questions in the Wiki Choice Wizard at wikimatrix.org, I found that a wiki with the following specifics would best suit the needs of the library: a hosted offer with its own domain providing commercial support that allowed corporate branding. A page history and WYSIWYG editing are also necessary requirements. The field was narrowed down to a list of eleven wikis that would satisfy the requirements. I then did the side-by-side comparisons to further eliminate some of the contenders, and ultimately chose Wikispaces because of the educationally focused version. I also noticed after investigating the actual site, that a Wikispaces Campus version is offered should the university itself decide to create a wiki. The cost is only $1,000 a year for 100 users, which would be more than sufficient for our size school.
Stodt, J.M. & Summey, T.P. (2009). Beyond the library's walls: using library 2.0 tools to
reach out to all users. Journal of Library Administration, 49, 97-109.
Wikimatrix. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2015, from http://www.wikimatrix.org/
Wikispaces. (2015). Retrieved May 20, 2015, from http://www.wikispaces.com/
The library I would be creating a wiki for is a small academic library that serves a population composed of undergraduate, non-traditional adult, and graduate students, many of whom are distance learners. Funds for this project are virtually non-existent due to budget constraints. There are eight full-time staff members and two part-time employees.
The goal of the wiki would be to provide a dedicated space for the posting of relevant information for students in regards to their classes. The emphasis would be placed on highlighting library resources available for class assignments and research. The wiki would also need to provide the ability for students and faculty members to comment and leave feedback.
After answering the questions in the Wiki Choice Wizard at wikimatrix.org, I found that a wiki with the following specifics would best suit the needs of the library: a hosted offer with its own domain providing commercial support that allowed corporate branding. A page history and WYSIWYG editing are also necessary requirements. The field was narrowed down to a list of eleven wikis that would satisfy the requirements. I then did the side-by-side comparisons to further eliminate some of the contenders, and ultimately chose Wikispaces because of the educationally focused version. I also noticed after investigating the actual site, that a Wikispaces Campus version is offered should the university itself decide to create a wiki. The cost is only $1,000 a year for 100 users, which would be more than sufficient for our size school.
References
Stodt, J.M. & Summey, T.P. (2009). Beyond the library's walls: using library 2.0 tools to
reach out to all users. Journal of Library Administration, 49, 97-109.
Wikimatrix. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2015, from http://www.wikimatrix.org/
Wikispaces. (2015). Retrieved May 20, 2015, from http://www.wikispaces.com/
Cows and Casinos
What do cows and casinos have in common? There are a whole lot of them on Interstate 40 West between Conway, Arkansas and Edmond, Oklahoma! Unlike yesterday's leg of the journey, there was lots of beautiful scenery today in "the Natural State". A visit to a Welcome center in Oklahoma made me want to stay behind and organize all the travel brochures! I'm sure they know exactly where everything is, but it looked like the display could benefit from a librarian's touch!
Oklahoma welcome center
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Road Trip Ramblings
I do not travel well. I already knew that, but today that reality was reinforced after being on the road for about twelve hours. It didn't help that there wasn't much scenery along the way, but fortunately I had my trusty journal articles close at hand and two captive colleagues to listen as I read interesting tidbits to them! Thankful for my library friends!
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