Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thing 15: Twitter (Week of 3/23)

This week's topic is Twitter.

This last Thing will introduce you to the social networking source Twitter (but you won't be required to set up a Twitter account). Twitter is a way to send a brief, informational e-mail, or "tweet," to all of your contacts at once. Though extremely popular as a tool for mobile devices, Twitter is not meant to be a two-way conversation. It simply answers the question, "What are you doing?" Responses must be 140 characters or fewer. Twitter is being used by businesses, news sources and political campaigns (including Barack Obama's and Ralph Nader's) to provide information updates to their users, who have signed up to receive the tweets.

This week's Tech Play Exercise:
  1. Start at http://www.twitter.com/.
  2. View the "Twitter in Plain English" video by clicking on the red box in the upper right corner.
  3. Go to the La Grange Public Library homepage. Scroll down the menu bar on the left. Let your mouse hover over "Young Adult Services" and select "YA Services Home." Note that Noël has added a Tweeter widget to the page. This allows Noël to provide brief, timely updates to teens who view the page.
  4. Post a message to blog. Do you Twitter, or do you know anyone who does? Can you think of a useful application for Twitter?

That's it! If you feel inspired, you can set up Twitter accounts with your friends and family so you can share...what you're doing.

Thing 14: Instant Messaging / Meebo (Week of 3/16)

This week's topic is Instant Messaging.

Instant Messaging (IM) is a brief, real-time tool which allows you to send short messages via the Internet--similar to texting, but on your computer. Of course, IM is only really "instant" if the person you are contacting is available at that moment--but you can determine that before you send a message.

Some libraries are using IM as another way to make contact with their patrons. For example, visit http://www.orlandparklibrary.org/ask.htm to see how Orland Park Public Library invites patrons to IM staff on their "Ask a Librarian" page, in addition to offering the more conventional methods of phone and e-mail. Here at La Grange Noël uses IM to keep in touch with her teen patrons. Take a look at http://www.lagrangelibrary.org/lagrange/yaservices.asp and scroll down the page to see her IM widget.

This week's Tech Play Exercise:

In this exercise you will set up an IM account and practice sending a message.

  1. Set up a Google Talk IM account. Go to http://talk.google.com/. Click on the blue Download Google Talk button. (If you have trouble, you may have to allow pop-ups by clicking on the pop-up toggle button on your tool bar.) Follow the steps on the Download Wizard. At the sign-in box, click on "Don't have an account." Fill in the required information for a user account. Create your "desired username." This is what your friends will see when you send them an IM. It's a good idea to scroll through the user agreement.
  2. Click on the Accept button.
  3. Read the information page if you want. Then Launch Google Talk. Look for the grey "word bubble" icon to appear on your task bar (in the lower right corner of your screen). The words "Google Talk" should appear when you let your mouse hover over the icon. (Hint: If you don't see the icon, click on the white arrow to see more options.)
  4. Now you're ready to add a Friend so you can begin IM-ing. Click on the "Add" button in the lower left corner. Type over the highlighted Sample Friend in the box by replacing it with lgpublib@gmail.com. This will invite Noël to be your Google Talk Friend. When she opens her IM account and finds your invitation, she will accept and write back.
  5. Post a message to your blog. Were you able to IM in real time to Noël, or someone else on staff? (Real-time messages, faster than e-mail, are the real point of IM.) Did you find it handy?

Note: Remember, with this account you can only IM other people who have set up G-mail
accounts through Google.


Challenge:
If you want to IM friends who don't have Google IM accounts, you can use an aggregator such as Meebo. Wikipedia calls Meebo "an...instant messaging program which supports multiple IM services." Go to http://www.meebo.com/ and click on "Sign Up Now." Enter a Meebo ID (the name you want your friends to see). Choose a password and confirm it. Keep in mind that you need to set up accounts with Yahoo, AIM, etc. (by clicking on those buttons and following their directions) if you want to IM with friends who have those accounts. Try this with a friend who has a non-Google account. You can IM Jeannie at her Yahoo account: dilgerh.

Thing 13: LibraryThing (Week of 3/9)

This week's topic is LibraryThing. (To complete this lesson, you will need to bring in 5 books from your home library collection.)

LibraryThing, the “site for book lovers,” enables you to catalog your personal book collection, rate and review your books—online. In addition, you can connect with others who have similar taste in reading and find local book-related events, such as author book signings. You can add up to 200 books for free or pay a small fee to add unlimited amounts of books.


This week's TechPlay exercise is:

Step 1.
Go to www.librarything.com and take the tour.

Step 2
. Set up an account.

Step 3.
Click on the tab “add books” to create your library. One easy way to do this is by using each book’s International Standard Book Number, or ISBN. This is usually found on the back of the book. Type the ISBN in the white search box. The title will appear in the box on the right. Click on the title, and your book is added to your library! Do this for 3 more of your books.

Step 4.
Another way to add a book is by title. Enter your last book by typing the title in the white search box. You’ll probably see more than one edition of the book in the box on the right. Scroll down through the titles until you see the edition you’re holding (cover and publication date are your clues). When you find your edition, click on it. Now it’s been added to your library. To delete any titles, simply hit the “delete book” icon next to your added title. You’ll be asked again in a pop-up box; just click “yes.”

Step 5. Click on the tab “Your library.” Scroll down to see the books you’ve entered. This is the beginning of your library – congratulations! Post an entry on your blog explaining how LibraryThing might (or might not not) be useful to you.

*Challenge Step: Click on one of the titles. This leads to a ton of information about your book. On the left side of the screen, click on “member reviews.” Here you’ll find many reviews of this book. To add your own review, click “edit book” on the left side of the screen, and scroll down to the “your review” box. Click on the box and start typing. Remember to click on the green “save” button when you have finished. Also, be sure to click the “sign out” button at the end of your session, particularly if you are doing this exercise at work.

FYI – Another book cataloging and social networking site is found at www.shelfari.com. Run by Amazon.com, it seems to focus more on popular fiction works and also seems to attract a younger, less discerning crowd.