Week 8 - Mashups and API

Write about the Mashup you found on your blog.

I was able to locate a mashup for my favorite past time - tennis (TennisMaps). Having played in high school and through out my college years, I still play during my down time and this mashup was excellent because it gives me all the information I need regarding tennis courts and facilities throughout the country.

http://www.programmableweb.com/mashup/tennismaps


Rollyo - Browse the results and write something about what these bloggers said about privacy in your blog.

These bloggers discussed their concerns for privacy in different situations. The search pretty much picked up the word privacy within these blogs and not the context in which the word was used.


Post link to Searchroll in your blog:

http://rollyo.com/ebelleh/myfavoritepasttime/

Week 7 - Podcasting - Online Hosted Video

Write a blog entry discussing how you felt about the experience of using YouTube and what you think about this service. Do you see any potential uses for Podcasting in the library? If so what and why?


I found YouTube quite interesting. I am familiar with it, but this was the first time that I really sat down to take a closer look. There seems to be a great deal of information (some good , some not so good) on YouTube and my concern is that it has this free for all feeling. The fact that anyone can post a video regardless of content or purpose slightly concerns me. One question would be if copyright issues are handled, if so how? Since it has become such a big new technology tool and the leader in online video sharing, I think they should shoulder some of the responsibility in educating users on the proper use of shared information.

I am still thinking of how this tool could potentially serve a purpose in the Medical Library were I work. I can see it being used for our Medical Morning Report group. Teaching residents could potentially use it to enhance their presentations and we the librarians could use this tool to enhance some of our databases by developing podcasts that are tailor made specifically for each database. Still thinking........................................


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB4HvVEMFig

Week 6 - Flickr - Photo Sharing

Do you think that photo sharing services could be useful for you? Why?
What do you think about the Library of Congress flickr and social tagging experiment?
What is next for photo sharing in your library?


I think photo sharing could be useful in our archives department. It could provide a great means for our patrons to participate by contributing through tagging. It could also provide our library with the means of sharing our archival content thereby minimizing the damage that may occur from handling.

I think the Library of congress flickr and social tagging experiment is wonderful. It provided a very interesting method of displaying items of interest.

Week 5 - Web Office Tools

Is this the future of all software products?

After using Google docs, Zoho and scanning over the others, I think it is safe to say that this is the future of all software products; and I think that they are only going to get better and offer just about all we can think of as far as online web office programs are concerned. They have definitely changed and redefined how office tools were once thought of.

Comparing google docs with another online web office program (Zoho), I liked google docs until I tried Zoho and I must say that I prefer Zoho. The interface is alot better than google docs and it offers more services.

Week 4 - Social Bookmarkings

I found working with delicious quite interesting and I think it can potentially serve as a research assistance tool. One way would be for a delicious account to be set up for a particular research topic and then articles, books, web sites and other items pertaining to the research will be tagged. This provides a central location where those interested can access the most current and timely information on the particular research topic. What I like most was the ability to bookmark my favorite web sites and being able to see others who shared in the same interest. Delicious would be ideal for pathfinders and subject guides. This would be a great way for libraries to introduce their patrons to this tool, save them time and also encourage collaboration.

Week 3 - Social Networking Tools

Social networking could be used by the MLA to connect with members, but that is if most if not all of its members are on facebook. Using this assignment as an example, only those who were enrolled in this CE course benefited from the MLA annual meeting event page on facebook. Social networking faces the same dilemma that virtual chat reference faced and still probably faces (in some libraries) and that is the perception that it is not a productive method of getting work done. One way to overcome this perception is through the offering of CE courses such as this one. Getting people introduced to social networking tools is a great beginning. They more they know the more likely they are to using these tools to enhance what they already do well.


After going through the exercise I don’t see how having a facebook or MySpace page would benefit the medical library where I work. This has to do primarily with our patron base. I don’t think physicians and residents would find it worthwhile since every minute of their day is spent on patient care.

There are definitely privacy concerns when using social networking sites. I know you ultimately control what makes its way on to these sites, but how much of one’s information is recycled for other purposes that we may or may not know about?


What I liked most about facebook and MySpace was being able to located long lost friends and classmates. It is also a great way for me to keep in touch with family and friends.

Week 2 - Wikis

Blogs and wikis seem to serve the same purpose. They both provide you with the ability to communicate, keep track of ideas and share comments and thoughts. The only slight difference that I could see was in the structure and format. Blogs seem to have more of a diary/journal feel while wikis have a more relaxed feel.