Bring IT to your library!

1. Bring IT to your library! OLA 2006 | OLA/IT Roundtable Poster

2. Do you have these ITs @ your library? • Blog • RSS • Wiki • Podcasting Don't know what IT is or how to pick it? Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

3. Blog software for libraries Internal Communication Online information storage Tracking reoccurring referencequestions Internal library concerns Purpose, criteria & selection | Adrienne Butler ODL • External Communication • Updating patrons on library activities • Communicating with patrons Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

4. Criteria • Define your library needs • What server specifications? • What features do you want included? • Cost – How much can you afford? Free IS an option! Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

5. Library Needs • One or more authors? • One or more blogs? • To host or not to host? Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

6. Server Specifications • What language do you speak? – Perl, PHP, MySQL, Access/Oracle, PostgreSQL, Windows… • Your server software concerns – any incompatibility problems with preloaded software? Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

7. Blog features to consider • Calendar • Customizable Templates • Search feature • Spell-check feature for authors • RSS feed Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

8. Cost Or, really, really cheap. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

9. Find Blog software • CMS Review • www.cmsreview.com/Weblogs/BlogDirectory.html • Blog Software Breakdown • www.asymptomatic.net/blogbreakdown.htm • MicroContent News • www.microcontentnews.com/articles/blogware.htm • Sourceforge • http://sourceforge.net • Free Software Foundation • http://directory.fsf.org/ (click on “live communications” then “online journaling”. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

10. A few Blog softwares available Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

11. For more information on blogs: • Contact Adrienne Butler Oklahoma Department of Libraries abutler@oltn.odl.state.ok.us 405.522.3505 Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

12. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) What are they and why would you want them? | Jeff Siddons Tulsa Community College • a marketing tool for the library. • a time-saving tool for people - it pulls all your regularly visited websites & blogs into one place. • a way to communicate updates to many people easily. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

13. What are they? It's a method of summarizing the latest news and information from a website . . . . . . that can be easily read and accessed by many news readers . . . . . . from your website. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

14. Content Web feeds provide web content or summaries of web content together with links to the full versions of the content. RSS in particular, delivers this information as an XML file called an RSS feed. RSS Webfeed XML Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

15. What are they? RSS feeds are just a special kind of web page, designed to be read by computers rather than people. “It might help to think of them as the free, internet version of the old-fashioned ticker-tape news wire machines.” RSS is an alternative to spam-type email. Sites use it to notify users that a site has been updated or a new “news story” is up instead of sending email. RSS is a family of web feed* formats … *a web feed is a document which contains content items, often summaries or web-blog posts with web links to longer versions. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

16. Web feeds & XML Web feeds work through XML to make Web Syndication possible *XML = Extensible Markup Language. A markup language combines text and information about the text. The extra information, for example about the text's style or look, is expressed using markup, which is intermingled with the text. The best-known markup language in modern use isHTML (HyperText Markup Language)one of the foundations of the World Wide Web. An example:<A HREF="/booksintro.htm"><IMG > *Web syndicationis a form of syndication in which a section of a website is made available for other sites to use. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

17. What exactly are these RSS files? • RSS files are metadata. Until you've used them or seen an example, it may not be easy to understand what RSS files are, but they are easy to create. • An RSS file commonly contains four main types of elements: channel, image, items, and text input. These elements are easy to identify and code. A sample item in RSS: (don’t let it scare you – they aren’t rocket science) <item> <title>Mozilla Dispenses with Old, Proprietary DOM</title> <link>http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=604</link> <description>The Mozilla team has decided to forgo backwards compatibility with Netscape's proprietary DOM.</description> Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

18. In addition to facilitating syndication, web feeds allow a website's frequent readers to track updates on the site using an aggregator*. *Aggregators reduce the time and effort needed to regularly check websites for updates, creating a unique information space or “personal newspaper.” Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

19. So who is doing it? Your library: If you run your own website, it’s simple to use RSS feeds to display the latest headlines from other websites on your site! Then step up to the next level up & use RSS to communicate in other ways. Be creative! • Cincinnati Public Library • http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/feeds/ • Kansas City Public Library • http://www.kclibrary.org/rss/ • University of Oklahoma Libraries • http://libraries.ou.edu/rss/ Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

20. How do I find these RSS feeds Look for the RSS symbols or acronym on the site’s home page: Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

21. How can I read these feeds? You can download and install anews reader. Or, you can use a Web based reader such asMy Yahoo!or Bloglines. Follow the instructions in your reader to subscribe to the feed of your choice. You will usually need to copy and paste the feed URL into the reader. Check it out Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

22. There are many sources for RSS feeds U.S. Government RSS Library Featured Sites: White House RSS Feeds & Podcasts from the U.S. Government • Science RSS FeedsNews about current weather, earthquakes, energy and the latest research... • Data and Statistics RSS FeedsUpdates on Census and agricultural data and statistics... • Environment, Energy & Agriculture RSS FeedsNews on conservation, forests, farms, human nutrition, hazardous waste, toxic chemicals and trash... • And many more . . . Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

23. Want more help? RSS For Non-Techie Librarians: http://www.llrx.com/features/rssforlibrarians.htm Amigos Website RSS Feeds: what, why & how:http://www.amigos.org/rss/ So what are you waiting for? Now that you know what RSS feeds are . . . it’s time to start using them! Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

24. Questions concerning RSS: Contact: Jeff Siddon Tulsa Community College jsiddons@tulsacc.edu Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

25. Wiki What is it and how can you use it | Adriana Edwards-Johnson SWOSU • A wiki is a type of website that allows anyone visiting the site to add, remove, or otherwise edit all content, quickly and easily, often without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative writing. One of the most famous wikis is Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

26. Uses for a library • Book discussion group • Teen group activities • Library & community events calendar • High tech “vertical file” for local information • Reference Desk handouts • Staff training • Library policy manual • Professional networking (http://www.libsuccess.org/) • And much more… Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

27. Who’s using wikis? • University of South Carolina Aiken Library • http://library.usca.edu/Main/HomePage • University of Connecticut Library Staff • http://wiki.lib.uconn.edu/wiki/Main_Page • University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign Library School (unofficial) • http://www.gslis.org/index.php?title=Main_Page • SJCPL Reference Department • http://www.libraryforlife.org/subjectguides/index.php/Main_Page Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

28. How do you get started? • Decisions to make: • Type of information the wiki will contain • Type of wiki software you want • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wiki_software • Who all will be able to access change the wiki • Limit access by: IP Address, Domain, or server location (internal access only) • Installing the software • If you plan to host the wiki on your library’s server you may need help from your IT person. Sometimes installation can be hindered by server settings. • Learn the wiki syntax Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

29. Wiki syntax | HTML | What you see Examples from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

30. Unique Wiki features Unlike other web tools wiki’s allow users to view changes made to the pages. So if there are problems or errors it’s easy to track user and make corrections. Wiki’s also come with a built in search function Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

31. Need more information? • Dee Knows Grotto • http://www.deeknow.com/wiki/view.pl/WikiBeginnersTopics • Evowiki • http://www.evowiki.org/wiki.phtml?title=Wiki_evolution • How Wikis Work • http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wiki.htm • Wiki Science • http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wiki_Science • Wikis unplugged • http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikis_unplugged Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

32. Questions concerning Wikis: Contact: Adri Edwards-Johnson SWOSU adri.edwardsjohnson@swosu.edu Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

33. Podcasting What is it & how to IT in your library | Jason Gonzales Muskogee Public Library A World Wide Web – based form of broadcasting that allows anyone with a computer and/or digital media device (ex. iPod, MP3 player) to download and listen to content. Users listen to exactly whatthey want, whenthey want, and where they want. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

34. Podcasts & Genres web sites SPORTS ESPN.com Mix POP CULTURE ABC’s Lost SCIENCE Science Friday INTERNET Inside the Net FINANCIAL Cramer Radio PARENTING NEW MUSIC Mommycast Blue Grass Talk Radio NEWS NPR TALK TECHNOLOGY P.O.V. Radio Leo Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

35. Supplies needed computer & microphone the Internet library staff = YOUR OWN LIBRARY PODCAST Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

36. Why Podcast? • Use a podcast as an inexpensive way to market your library’s services! • A library podcast can consist of anything, including upcoming events, material reviews, interviews, information on services, general all around library promotion. Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

37. Further Podcast Information • Secrets of Podcasting(basic book on podcasting) by Bart G. Farkas • Real Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting • http://www.podcastfreeamerica.com/the-real-beginners-guide-to-podcasting • iTunes 6(free software for searching & listening to podcasts) • http://www.apple.com/itunes/ • Yahoo! Podcasts (directory of podcasts) • http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ • Audacity(free software for recording & editing podcasts) • http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ • Podomatic(free site to host your podcast) • http://www.podomatic.com/ Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

38. Podcasts Refence Page • ABC’s Lost • http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/podcasts/ • Blue Grass Talk Radio • http://www.bluegrasstalkradio.com/ • Cramer Radio • http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/podcast • ESPN Mix • http://espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/index • Inside the Net • http://twit.tv/ • Mommycast • http://www.mommycast.com/ • NPR • http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php • P.O.V. with David W. Torrence • http://joelcrowservo.podomatic.com/ • Radio Leo • http://www.leoville.tv/radio/ • Science Friday • http://www.sciencefriday.com/feed/ Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library

39. Questions concerning Podcasts: Contact: Jason Gonzales Muskogee Public Library gonzales@eok.lib.ok.us Blog, RSS, Wiki, Podcasting | Bring IT to your library