Category Archives: apps

Thing 14: Curating

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Libraries and museums (and the people working in them) have a fascination with collecting, but using technology the potential for individuals to draw together their own collections of online resources is enormous.  In this Thing we are looking at online curation, using tools like Pinterest and Tumblr. We’d like to look at two aspects: (1) the way that institutions and members of the public can use various websites and tools to curate collections around their chosen topics and, using mobile apps, do this anytime and anywhere, and (2) how library workers can use these tools to curate a collection of links and resources relevant to their work and professional development.

DISCOVER

Pinterest allows users to create virtual pinboards of images and videos according to their interests.

  • Libraries are using Pinterest for many purposes, here’s just a few examples:
  • Library workers can use Pinterest to collect resources relevant to their work. See the Pinterest boards we’re using to develop and support 23 mobile things  as an example

Tumblr, a microblogging platform, allows users to post their own content or “reblog” content posted by other users. Posts can be tagged with hashtags (e.g. #libraries. )

  • Libraries are using Tumblr in many different ways – here’s just a few examples:
    • New York Public Library is using Tumblr to promote and share information about their LIVE from the NYPL program
    • Boroondara Library (Victoria, Australia) uses Tumblr to share links to library resources, news and events, and relevant news and quotes
  • How are library workers using Tumblr for professional development?

EXPLORE

  • New York Public Library use their Tumblr to post highlights from their collection, join in with Tumblr-wide conversations and themes (e.g. Mustache Monday , or Caturday), give updates on library events and services, and share updates about news and topics impacting on the sector
  • There are some other tools you can try for curating text-based content (e.g. blog posts, tweets, etc.) Paper.li, and Storify
  • If you’re looking for tools to curate collections of links and websites you could try Symbaloo and Livebinders (with Android app and iOS app options)
  • Explore more links on our Pinterest boards (Curating and Tumblr)

THINKING POINTS

  • How easy is it for library clients to “pin” items from your collection (eg. do the catalogue entries for your digitised local history photographs include a “pin it” or “tumblr” button)?
  • Have you tried searching to see how much of your library’s content has already been added to Pinterest by members of the public? Just try searching for your library URL (eg. http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=sl.nsw.gov.au)
  • Could your library use Pinterest to keep clients up to date on building re-developments at the library? eg. City of Greater Bendigo Council Pinterest board for the redevelopment of Bendigo Library
  • Could you use a mobile device to take pictures of your library spaces, displays and events and post them to Pinterest or Tumblr?
  • Could you use a group board on Pinterest to invite library clients to share book recommendations, or colleagues to share resources?

Thing 13 : Online identity

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As information professionals we need to understand the risks of the online environment, including knowing how to manage our own online identities (professional and personal), and also be able to advise our clients and communities on how to protect their own privacy online.  Our focus in this thing is mobile technology and the particular issues that relate to using tablets and smartphones and apps.

Usually once you log into an app, access is continuous on your device unless you log out each time you use it.  It’s also common to log into an app using one of your existing identities (eg. Facebook, Google account or Twitter).  Take a minute to check if you have your device password protected in case someone else tries to use it and which third party apps currently have access to your information. [see Facebook app settings,  Google account settings and Twitter settings and information on revoking access to third party apps ]

DISCOVER:

Who are you online?  

  • Have you considered that your identity online is actually a spectrum ranging from anonymous > pseudonymous (across multiple sites) > self-asserted > socially validated (by friends and followers) > officially verified?  [see the excellent post from @identitywoman for definitions]
  • Using a pseudonym or anonymous identity online may breach the terms of service of some social media channels (eg. Google+ real names policy  and Facebook identity for page administrators)
  • LinkedIn is a popular app for professional connections see Jan and Mylee  as examples [Android and iOS apps available ]
  • If you manage a page for your library or an organisation you might find the Facebook Pages Manager app useful
  • Facebook apps are available for both Android – Facebook  and iPhone – Facebook

EXPLORE:

What information is being collected while you’re online?

  • Many apps collect information from users and there should be a privacy policy or terms and conditions statement available.  Often these statements are on an associated website (eg. Medicare App  )
  • What information do you share when you search and interact online?  Phil Bradley gives a good overview of the issues and some alternative tools.
  • Protecting Your Privacy – A Resource Guide also lists alternative tools

THINKING POINTS:

  • Do you keep your personal and professional identities online completely separate?
  • Do you deliberately manage your personal brand / professional identity?
  • If a prospective employer asked you to demonstrate your skills and experience in using social media could you point to professional presences online?
  • Do you draw your online identities or the multiple identities of your organisation together via a blog / website or an aggregating tool like Rebelmouse , Vizify  or the Slideshare network channels of organisations like United Nations DESA ?
  • Can your clients log into your library website or apps using their online identities?  (eg. Facebook or Twitter login to LibraryThing for Libraries to add reviews to the catalogue).
  • Does your library privacy statement include information about what personal information is collected by apps in use to deliver library services?

Thing 12 : Recreation and some angry birds

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Libraries have always supported the information, recreation and education needs of their clients. In a mobile enabled world, library clients use their devices for all three of these purposes as well. In this Thing we’d like to explore some of the recreational aspects of mobile apps and the potential for gamification and games in some library activities.

DISCOVER

EXPLORE

  • Mobile devices have many recreational and lifestyle uses – here’s just a few:
    • Culinary inspiration, e.g. Epicurious or Allrecipes, and nutrition, e.g. Aisle Won
    • Interior design, e.g. Houzz Interior Design Ideas or ColorSmart by BEHR Mobile
    • Gardening and landscaping, e.g. Australian iPad garden app: The Garden Planner
    • Following sporting events or your favourite team, e.g. SBS Tour de France Skoda Tour Tracker, Cricbuzz or BBC Sports
  • Interactive gamification workshop at Next Library 2013 .
  • Find more links on our Pinterest board .

THINKING POINTS

  • Kids and mobile games – what’s popular? How can you find out? Could you integrate some of these games into your library’s programs for children?
  • If you could develop a game for mobile devices, what would it be? We’ve already encountered several apps that can be used to gamify aspects of your library service (eg. SCVNGR, geocaching)
  • National Parks New South Wales, Australia, has developed an iPad app as part of their Wilderquest program for children – could your library develop an app?
  • Could you use games in programs at your library?  eg. designing games using Game Salad

Thing 11 : Augmented reality

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Abbreviated as AR,  augmented reality is the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device (eg. through a smartphone camera).  This video gives you a quick introduction to some of its potential.   Perhaps you’ve heard about a recent example,  Google Glasses  are location aware, computerised eyeglasses  that will display information to the side of what you’re viewing.  There are quite a few AR applications that could be employed in library environments and in this Thing we’d like you to explore some of the possibilities:

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE: 

THINKING POINTS: 

  • Could the wayfinding in your library environment be improved with AR? Would an information literacy guided tour of your library be improved by including AR technology?
  • Could you use an AR app like Lookator to make it easy for students to find the wifi hotspots on campus?
  • Is there complex equipment in your library? Perhaps a video demonstration could provide assistance to customers if it were available at the point of need via AR?
  • Do you serve clients from different language backgrounds?  Could you create an AR guide in their preferred language to help them orient to the library environment and services?
  • Are you engaging with your community to plan a new library space?  Could you let them move the furniture around using an AR app like Augment [iOS version and Android  version]?
  • Could you overlay local history film and audio clips into your local environment using an AR app?
  • What would your summer reading club be like if you incorporated AR features?

Thing 10 : Social reading

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What does the phrase ‘social reading’ bring to mind for you?  We thought it could be explored in a number of different ways:

  1. tools to read social media and RSS
  2. tools and apps to interact with other readers … ( Allison Mennella explored the question “What is “Social Reading” and why should Libraries care?”  and Goodreads and LibraryThing are popular options)
  3. activities like online book clubs (eg Read Watch Play Twitter reading group) and Twitter chats (eg. #libchat #uklibchat #rwpchat)

For this Thing, in keeping with our focus on mobile technologies, we have chosen to look at the mobile apps that support reading social media and RSS feeds efficiently.  Until recently, Google Reader was one of the most popular rss readers and the announcement that it would be discontinued after July 1, 2013  caused a great disturbance in the library world and further afield.

DISCOVER:

  • So what is RSS and why does it matter? RSS feeds are fixed pre programmed streams of “latest” content used to publish frequently updated works, like blog posts and lists of new items added to a library catalogue.  RSS together with APIs are two of the ways your apps and some other web tools collect new information. This Commoncraft video explains RSS in plain English
  • If you want to follow a number of blogs and other social media feeds you will need an aggregator.  Try out Feedly which will draw together your RSS feeds, Tumblr blogs and Youtube channels (Android and iOS apps available)
  • Do you need to save something to read later? Pocket  is available for Android and iOS and works with quite a few other programs and apps.  You can save directly from your browser or from apps like Twitter, Flipboard, Pulse and Zite.

EXPLORE:

  • Flipboard, an app that aggregates your social media feeds (including RSS) allowing you to view your own ‘magazine’ and to share it with your friends.
  • NewsBlur  is another option with web, iPad, iPhone, and Android options.
  • Pulse aggregates blogs, magazines, social networks and newspapers.
  • Do you set out to gather together items you’ve read around themes to reshare like a newspaper or magazine?  You can use tools like Paper.li and Scoop.it etc.   See the Pinterest board for more options.

THINKING POINTS:

  • Which top 3 blogs do you rely on for keeping up to date with trends in the GLAM industry? Add your favourites to this shared list.
  • Would some client groups at your library be interested in receiving curated collections of links and posts?  Perhaps for ‘hot topics’ that are rapidly changing like social media applications?
  • Do you find it easier to follow blogs etc. in a reader or do you rely more on Twitter for current information?  Do you know which option your library clients prefer?

Thing 9 : QR codes

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QR (quick read) codes have been around for a long time and not everyone is convinced of their appeal or popularity , but still they persist.  They can contain hundreds of times more data than conventional 1-dimensional barcodes and can be scanned easily with a smartphone.

QR codes are useful IF your library clients know what to do with them, if your staff know how to generate them and if you need to connect your physical and online spaces for some reason.  (They also create pretty nifty storytelling pyjamas  and quite informative carpets).

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE:

THINKING POINTS:

  • What digital services does your library offer that are ‘invisible’ in the physical space?  Could you use a QR code to provide a link to some of your eResources for your clients?
  • Does your library have an app?  Is a QR code reader incorporated into the app?
  • Could you use QR codes on signs pointing people to your social media channels?
  • Have you created Wikipedia articles about local people, places and events?  Could you use QRpedia codes as pointers to local historical information or multimedia around your local area? (eg. signage on location)
  • Could you use QR codes as part of a library orientation or information literacy program?

 

QRCode

Thing 8 : Calendar

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Everyone seems to live busy lives, with many appointments and activities to keep track of.  Many of your library clients carry their calendar in their pockets with the added features of alerts to remind them of appointments and the potential to share appointment details.

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE:

  • iCalendar,  often referred to as iCal, is an internet calendar format that enables users to create and share electronic calendars across different computers and devices.
  • There are tools like iCalShare that allow you to create a calendar of events that can be shared to different types of calendars.
  • Google Hangouts can be integrated into a Google calendar
  • See more links on our Pinterest board.

THINKING POINTS:

  • Are events advertised on your website with an option to download the calendar details?
  • Perhaps if your library hours have seasonal variations you could provide a Gmail calendar or iCal file of dates and hours that clients could import into their own calendar?
  • Study room bookings – could your library allow customers to import them directly into their own calendars?
  • Can your library clients sign up for a series of events (eg. a book club, early literacy story times, a technology course, etc.) and capture the details easily into their own calendars?

Thing 7 : Communicate

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It often seems as though distance and time are the enemy, yet there are many opportunities to work together using technology to break down the tyranny of distance. In this Thing we’re taking a closer look at Skype and Google+ Hangouts to see how libraries are using them to deliver client focussed services and to work together as teams.

DISCOVER:

Robin Ashford has some great ideas about ways libraries can be using Google+ Hangouts and Skype.  David Lee King points out that Google Plus hangouts are some of the interactive and accessible mediums that may help your library (or blog) grow its online community.

Google+ Hangouts:

  • New York Public Library have a NYPL Google+ Hangout Book Club available
  • The Games and Public Libraries seminars in World of Warcraft are offering a Google+ Hangout option to watch
  • Create a Google+ account (if you don’t already have one) and try holding a Google+ Hangout with a colleague at another branch or library site

Skype

EXPLORE:

THINKING POINTS:

  • Could a school class Skype with a member of your staff, for example the local history librarian or reference librarian?
  • Could you Skype author visits into your community and show it on a big screen?
  • Can you Skype in a guest presenter for a team meeting or professional development day?
  • Are you trying to work together as a team across distances (eg. various library sites or branches), could a Google+ Hangout sometimes replace a meeting?
  • Could you use Google+ hangouts to create a virtual tour / orientation visit to your library?
  • Could your library offer high school students ”late night librarian Q&A sessions” during the cram weeks / study vacation before exams via Google+ hangouts?
  • Do you offer a Google+ online reference desk service?

Thing 6 : Video

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The statistics from YouTube show that more than 4 billion hours of video are watched each month and in particular, 25% of global YouTube views come from mobile devices.  YouTube is also a popular search engine, particularly for DIY topics.  Of course there are other video apps and tools to consider as well, including Vimeo, Vine, Viddy, Social Cam, Animoto, uStream and more!   In this Thing, we will take a look at some of the ways libraries and library workers can use video for engaging with clients and providing information about services, events and collections to their communities.

A welcome video Greeting for #23mobilethings participants from @janholmquist

DISCOVER:

You have probably seen some great uses of YouTube for libraries.

But what about something new like Vine ?


EXPLORE:

Beginners: Record a video on your mobile device and upload a YouTube video

  • you will need to create a YouTube account to upload your video
  • you could try using the YouTube Capture by Google app if you are using iOS or download the Vine app or use any other video platform

More experienced: Challenge yourself to create a video using Vine (using #23mobilethings when you share it), Animoto  (iOS and Android apps available) or Xtranormal 


THINKING POINTS:

Thing 5 : Photos + Maps + Apps

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Library clients using a mobile device have their personal access to your library services and collections in their pocket 24/7, they also have GPS and a camera to interact with the environment around them.  Have you considered how that could be used to deliver library services? Combining GPS and photography creates the potential for some interesting local history experiences and other fun ways to interact with the world around you.

DISCOVER:

  • Try out  Historypin   [download the smartphone apps ] Look at photographs in your local area on the map and try exploring further afield. (NB: there are even some photographs pinned in Antarctica!)
  • Compare the different experience when you view the Historypin map on a desktop computer.
  • Using the app, take a photograph of your library building and “pin it” by uploading it to the map.  There are lots of “how to” videos and notes available for Historypin
  • Have you considered creating your own library game using SCVNGR, it was used to gamify the ALIA Online conference

EXPLORE:

  • Using Historypin take a photograph of a local building (eg. town hall, public school) and upload it and pin it using the Street View option. eg. Sydney GPO
  • Using Historypin, find images pinned in your area and try creating a “repeat” of an image, photographing it on location and uploading the image using the app.
  • Try linking together several photographs to make a tour.  (eg. several buildings in your main street or a local square)  The Beatlemania tour gives you an idea of what’s possible.
  • Link together some photographs into a collection (they don’t need to be in the same area, but just have a common theme eg. local post offices or school buildings.  The 1906 Earthquake and Fire collection illustrates a disaster that affected San Francisco.
  • Use the app to photograph an old photograph in your collection to pin to the map
  • There are other historical / map interfaces including: What was there  and Sepia Town
  • There are more links available on our Pinterest Board

THINKING POINTS:

  • Can you create a local history walking tour, using photographs and information from your collection?
  • What community engagement opportunities exist when people share stories inspired by photographs, locations and memories?
  • Are there other ways your community could take photographs to help tell the story of  ‘a day in the life’ at your school, in your community or at your university?
  • Perhaps you could hold a program using the Guardian Citizen Journalism app?
  • Could you hold a fun teen program using the Drift app which guides you on a walk using randomly assembled instructions?