From my own experiences and from what has been required for this course, I now have Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, my own e-mail from my Web provider, and my school e-mail. Of the free online e-mail providers, Gmail appears superior--in the amount of space it provides and in the number of services it provides. But the other point is that all these e-mail accounts could lead to a password nightmare--not to mention the logins and passwords for the various online applications. This stuff needs to be stored somewhere--online, maybe; on hard copy, definitely, then laminated and stored in what Al Gore calls a "safe box."
1. Hints for improving productivity are worth archiving--check here. Having used IM, I am not a big fan; it creates a sense of obligation to remain near one's computer in case a message pops up--which can be distracting. Leaving the computer and not replying to an IM sort of defeats the purpose. I think IM is useful depending upon a person's role--and whether that person is more or less tied down, such as at a help desk--and the need for urgent responses.
2a. Video Response: IM looked to be a very successful exchange between the librarian and the patron, although the advice given didn't seem "actionable," but more like a series of platitudes; at the same time, learning IM "speak" seems to be a prerequisite for this sort of exchange. In the back of my mind, I keep wondering: Wouldn't a telephone work better? Wouldn't someone who is anxiety-ridden prefer the soothing tones of a human voice? I would. As for the different IM services, it's probably just a matter of personal choice and comfort--perhaps which one a person initially experiences--that drives preferences.
2b. Instant Messaging and Libraries--response to "Instant messaging may be controversial, but remember, we also debated telephone reference": The argument that a lot of people use IM is not persuasive to me; a lot more people use the telephone. So I don't think that "chasing technology" just to jump on the bandwagon is a sound argument; IM must offer something that's better, faster, cheaper than the alternative--any technology should be replaced when the new technology has advantages that are not only superior to the old technology weighed against possible disadvantages, including costs that may need to be redirected from other needs. Just as people can talk a lot faster than they can IM--and just as there's subtlety in speech and tone that is absent in IM--the more primitive technologies may still be superior to IM as a communication tool for libraries and reference services. But I am open to it, not having that much experience. Its success probably depends in part on attitudes, ease of access, the work culture, patron attitude, and the librarian's job design. IM could be worked into a librarian's schedule--say, for two hours a day--rather than as an omnipresent burden that must be addressed throughout the day: I would feel oppressed by that sort of IM practice.
2c. Setting up an IM account is easy; getting other teachers to get involved is the hard part. Most do so between classes and when they have a bit of down time during class. I do feel guilty, however, sitting in the media center and trying to get them to respond. As has been said, IM can be a time stealer and, I might add, a "teacher annoyer" at times--not that there were any bad sports (although some might wonder whether I have too much free time on my hands, an accusation that media specialists need to avoid at all costs, lest they fail to receive teacher support during times of budgetary strains).
1. Hints for improving productivity are worth archiving--check here. Having used IM, I am not a big fan; it creates a sense of obligation to remain near one's computer in case a message pops up--which can be distracting. Leaving the computer and not replying to an IM sort of defeats the purpose. I think IM is useful depending upon a person's role--and whether that person is more or less tied down, such as at a help desk--and the need for urgent responses.
2a. Video Response: IM looked to be a very successful exchange between the librarian and the patron, although the advice given didn't seem "actionable," but more like a series of platitudes; at the same time, learning IM "speak" seems to be a prerequisite for this sort of exchange. In the back of my mind, I keep wondering: Wouldn't a telephone work better? Wouldn't someone who is anxiety-ridden prefer the soothing tones of a human voice? I would. As for the different IM services, it's probably just a matter of personal choice and comfort--perhaps which one a person initially experiences--that drives preferences.
2b. Instant Messaging and Libraries--response to "Instant messaging may be controversial, but remember, we also debated telephone reference": The argument that a lot of people use IM is not persuasive to me; a lot more people use the telephone. So I don't think that "chasing technology" just to jump on the bandwagon is a sound argument; IM must offer something that's better, faster, cheaper than the alternative--any technology should be replaced when the new technology has advantages that are not only superior to the old technology weighed against possible disadvantages, including costs that may need to be redirected from other needs. Just as people can talk a lot faster than they can IM--and just as there's subtlety in speech and tone that is absent in IM--the more primitive technologies may still be superior to IM as a communication tool for libraries and reference services. But I am open to it, not having that much experience. Its success probably depends in part on attitudes, ease of access, the work culture, patron attitude, and the librarian's job design. IM could be worked into a librarian's schedule--say, for two hours a day--rather than as an omnipresent burden that must be addressed throughout the day: I would feel oppressed by that sort of IM practice.
2c. Setting up an IM account is easy; getting other teachers to get involved is the hard part. Most do so between classes and when they have a bit of down time during class. I do feel guilty, however, sitting in the media center and trying to get them to respond. As has been said, IM can be a time stealer and, I might add, a "teacher annoyer" at times--not that there were any bad sports (although some might wonder whether I have too much free time on my hands, an accusation that media specialists need to avoid at all costs, lest they fail to receive teacher support during times of budgetary strains).
3a. Video Presentation: Text messaging a librarian, just as with IM, may have an unintended consequence: Patrons may just get lazy. Instead of struggling with research and related questions, they may simply choose to hand off the challenges to the librarian, thus losing some valuable experiences in learning and in struggling. To what extent this potential unintended consequence abuses the librarian certainly deserves some research--if it hasn't already been done. (Hmmm, I wonder whether I could IM or text message a librarian and ask how a person would go about finding out the answer to that question?) Without any context to suggest otherwise, it appeared as though the students weren't expending too much effort; they appeared to be more like passive consumers--and I think that's something education and library services should guard against: the whole concept that information and learning are consumer items to be purchased, packaged, text messaged, or IM'ed.
3b-c. "SMS offers libraries new talk tool": This article seems to apply more to academic and public libraries--especially those with greater resources and larger patron bases--than to my own high school situation. It was interesting and points to the ongoing need for librarians and media specialists to anticipate, learn, and practice new technologies--sort of like Web 2.0. Messaging is a good exercise--a little awkward perhaps without a clear purpose for doing so.
Reference: Minitex Webinars
4a. WebJunction intro to Web Conferences: This was a good resource for defining Web conferencing, providing related key terms, suggesting benefits and problems, and listing both tips and a great deal of useful onine tools. It does suggest a level of technology and a level of comfort with technology that must be relatively high to be successful.
4b. Sitting in on a conference: OPAL Web conferences are a tremendous opportunity for learning, and I hope to have many occasions to experience them. The interactive quality is what particularly suits today's learners. Again, both technology and the desire to use technology must be high for Web conferences to work.
Blog prompts: My media center uses e-mail primarily to communicate to staff and administrators about new materials, technology possibilities, workshops, problems, and promotions. Rarely do I use e-mail to answer questions about books or research, unfortunately. IM--no I don't use IM very much, primarily because no one else on the job seems to use it; it probably would be helpful to have an IM relationship with tech support, but the preference there if for e-mail. Old habits die hard.
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