Thing #1: Read the intro
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Marcellus Free Library’s “23 Things for Learning Web 2.0” program! Each week for 9 weeks (which hopefully won’t be too grueling!), we’ll be learning about a few ways people enhance their Internet experience by contributing content of their own. You are probably already familiar with Facebook and Twitter, but do you know about Tumblr or WikiHow? Impress your friends and family by throwing around these terms like you were born knowing them!
I will post corresponding blog entries for each week of activities at http://mfl23things.blogspot.com, so you can follow along from work or home and check back after the course is done to refresh your memory. You are also totally encouraged to try any or all of these 23 Things on your own – who knows? Maybe you have a lot of important information to Tweet (it can become addictive)!
Thing #2: Listen to Web 2.0 pod
PODCAST
A Podcast is an audio broadcast over the Internet. The word comes from a mash-up of “broadcast” and “pod” (since podcasts can be played on portable devices such as an iPod). Podcasts began as mainly instructional resources, but have evolved into media outlets, so that nowadays you can get access to lots of great interviews with famous people, authors, and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (any fans in the audience besides me?)!
Many websites have podcasts attached to them. For example, I’ve made a few instructional podcasts about how to use the library’s catalog and how to sign up for e-mail. You may sometimes hear them referred to in short as “pods”, but don’t worry about alien creatures eating you alive! One really great place to find quality pods is Podcast Alley (http://www.podcastalley.com). If you do a search for “web 2.0” (always use lower case letters while searching, as you will get all results with both upper and lower case in them, whereas if you use upper case letters you’ll get results for only upper case), you will find some great podcasts on the subject. Let’s listen to one: http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=50846 (Web 2.0 magic), http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=12189 (interviews about web 2.0). With Podcast Alley, you can either download the entire file to your computer, or click “see details” and then “listen” to listen to it on the Internet.
Thing #3: Take a look at some library blogs
BLOGGING
The word “blog” is a shortened form of “weblog”, because a blog is sorta like a captain’s log of his time spent at sea back in the day, remember? So it’s a web-based log – usually a journal or frequently-updated information on the author’s interest or hobby.
Some popular online programs for developing blogs are: Blogger (made by Google), WordPress, Typepad, and Movable Type. These are designed to be easy to use, with pre-made templates so you just choose the background you want, choose your blog’s name and address, then start making posts. You can also insert pictures or video along with the text, and most blogs give lots of storage space so you can blog for years before you run out of room. Many of them are free, also, but in some cases only limited accounts are free and if you want to do fancier editing or have more space you have to pay. Blogger and Movable Type are examples of completely free blogging software; WordPress and Typepad are free for a limited account.
Let’s look at some interesting library-related blogs!
DCL Archives: http://dewittlibraryarchives.blogspot.com/ (Okay, I happen to have created that one, but I’m not looking for any praise here!)
Librarian in Black: http://librarianinblack.net (This is by a librarian at the San Rafael Public Library in California); The Daring Librarian: http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/
As a bonus activity, start your own blog, or make a comment on this one, so you can see how the world of blogs works!
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