First: I could not find my old microphone anywhere. (its been missing since my undergrad pirate radio days) Second: I had it in my head that this assignment was not due for another week (I’m getting a little fried, mostly as a result of working in a position that requires a lot of travel which leaves little room for homework and research) So I failed to purchase a microphone.
So it goes…
This is actually an old blog of mine. I have sold my soul and am regularly blogging amongst my old drinking buddies on My Space. In an attempt to avoid unwanted solicitations (i.e. the daily operations at My Space) my site is locked Therefore I chose to use this old blog to post the assignment.
Luckily for my last “minuteness” on this assignment these are all topics that I am interested in and therefore feel comfortable elaborating on.
Enjoy!
Blogs
Blog is short for Weblog. A Blog is basically a frequently updated online journal comprised of links and postings arranged in chronological order. Often people will use this forum as a personal online diary, (this is my friend Todd's blog - he has some skills) or as a forum for communication to the masses, e.g. the Schrute Space or the blog on the Huffington Post.
Blogs and Libraries
Libraries can use blogs in a multitude of ways. These can range from messages from the library regarding “happenings at the library” to compiling a list of academic blogs for patron use. Blogs can also be accessed by libraries as a mechanism for staying “current”. There are a number blogs available to librarians on a variety of LIS topics. Coming from a true nerd, here are a few of my favorites;
http://lislibraryblogger.blogspot.com
http://christinaslibraryrant.blogspot.com/ (I use this girl for reference quite a bit)
http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/ (good information but would it kill her to capitalize???)
Local libraries would be wise to include community blogs on their website or even blog the transcripts from the help desk (with patron permission) after all if someone’s asking someone else is curious too.
Podcasts
Blogs and podcasts have led to a democratizing of available media. A podcast is MP3 audio made available to end users through an RSS feed. Because of our friend the RSS, users do not need to logon to a specific bandwidth in real time to catch audio. Instead an end user can logon to a chosen website and download their preferred podcast to be played on their chosen media player. The name podcast is derived from a combination of "I-Pod" and broadcast. (take that Bill Gates) Log onto one of several podcast sites on the web and you can download content ranging from music, political rants, news broadcasts, and historical speeches. Some universities have even begun podcasting class lectures and making them available universally. Podcasting still has a long way to go before it catches on with the masses. However, I predict in the next few years it will become as pervasive as blogging.
Podcasts and Libraries
Libraries currently are able to offer historical speeches to a broader audience through the use of podcasting. Additionally, many academic libraries use podcasting as a mechanism for keeping the community aware of current and upcoming events. Libraries can broaden the reach of access by making their music collections and even books on tape available by subscription throughout the library website. Additionally, podcasts can provide an effective tool for training employees on new policies and keeping current in LIS trends. The podcast offers the library numerous opportunities to both stay current and broaden it's reach in terms of information access. The opportunities for libraries from the technology of the podcast is limited only by the librarian's imagination.
RSS
RSS, short for "Really Simple Syndication", is a protocol in an XML format which is used to syndicate web content. RSS is handy because it is the easiest methodology for delivering content that is constantly in a state of flux. (like a blog!) Previous to RSS, website administrators had the heady task of manually retrieving and updating information. RSS automatically (well.. when programmed to do so) aggregates the data and updates the relevant content.
Libraries need RSS
RSS delivery is most often associated with digital libraries. Digital libraries can use an RSS web feed to keep regular users up to date with the most current information. However, “regular” libraries are getting in to the RSS game as well. Library websites will often use RSS feeds in conjunction with their website/online journal subscriptions in order to offer patrons the opportunity to subscribe to an RSS feed that may be relevant to their particular interests. Additionally, academic libraries can offer RSS feeds to students (say...an LIS student) to keep them abreast of educational opportunities, forums, or even podcasts that may be available.
Open URL Resolvers
First let me begin by stating that if someone stumbles across this blog who is not a SIRLS student and for some reason wants learn more about how Open URL Resolvers function;
I am a convert to the readings found in "Technology for the Rest of Us" by Nancy Courtney. I have ordered a copy; if you are not a rocket scientist, you should do the same.
Open URL resolvers are most commonly found in database search engines. The OpenURL provides a mechanism for coding a citation for an information resource, such as journal articles, as an accessible website. Here's how this works;
The links (you can barely read) contained in the red circle are called "Open URL triggers". These are the devices that send the message to the URL "resolver" at a base address. (the base address is generally a piece of software with a search capability) The search software at the base address uses a programmed set of metadata to locate resources that match the metadatea requirements. The ideal result of this search will provide the end user a "Full text" copy of the chosen article, in the event this is not readily available the search may produce results from other websites which could ultimately lead the end user the "full text" holy grail.
Libraries and the Open URL Resolver
It can be comfortably stated that libraries are the largest users of Open URL resolvers namely for the ability to search limitless resources. The screenshot above is from the University of Arizona's Library Academic Premier Search website. I would prefer to not go into the many miraculous uses and advantages to this technology as that will be covered further down. (spoiler alert: I feel this technology is the most beneficial in improving services for library patrons)
RFID :Radio Frequency Identification
RFID is a mechanism for tracking materials that uses microchips and radio frequencies to communicate between a "tag" and a "reader". RFID's work under a fairly simple construct; one item (the tag) is implanted with a microchip that contains unique identifiers and a second item acts as the extractor of the information. The advantages to RFID technology are that direct contact and line of sight contact is not required for the extraction of the information.
RFID has snuck it's way into our everyday in a number of different formats. The humane society as well as many veterinarian clinics have adopted RFID as a way of identifying "run away" animals and reuniting them with their owners. A microchip the size of a grain of rice (if not smaller) containing the owner's contact information is implanted between the animal's shoulder blades and can be scanned by a reader available at any animal clinic. I am proud to state that the cat I adopted from a shelter in 2000 was the first RFID animal in Salina, KS. (really, its got to be a claim to fame somewhere)
A large number of states have adopted RFID passes for regular travelers through toll booths. Drivers are given the option to opt out of playing hoops with quarters into toll booth baskets and instead their car has a tag which is scanned by a reader and the toll is automatically deducted from a pre-established account. Here on the University of Arizona campuses a number of parking garages are accessible only to students who have paid for tags to affix to their windshield by which the parking arm is lifted after the tag has scanned. The advantage is RFID technology (and probably ultimately the genesis of it's creation on some level) is that is adds to our overarching need for things to be both quick and easy.
However, RFID has it's detractors. Many feel that RFID is a slippery slope into Orwellian times. Admittedly, this technology in the wrong hands could lead to issues with privacy protection, identity theft, and whole host of "amendment breakers". However, at this point this is more a topic for interesting barroom debate as I feel strongly that the good outweighs the bad.
RFID and Libraries
RFID is applicable to all areas of the library. This technology has singularly revolutionized the circulation function of the library. I will discuss RFID's uses but prefer to address the advantages below, as I have chosen this technology as the most advantageous technology to the librarian. The list of uses for RFID in the library includes, but is not limited to;
Circulation:
Check in and check out has been revolutionized by RFID. No longer do librarians have to worry about time spent checking in and checking out books. Patrons are liberated as well by the ability to slide the book (and in some cases many, many, books) over a reader. The information is sent to the patron account and the patron is on their way. This works the same when returning books. Ideally, the libraries book drop can be affixed with a reader and the returned book can be entered into the patron's account as they're returning it. Who doesn't love linear satisfaction?
Inventory and Shelving:
As a former book slave who spent hours and hours shelving books in a used bookstore and later a corporate bookstore who shall remain nameless, I LOVE the idea of RFID technology for the purposes of tracking inventory and shelving. RFID readers can be installed on a bookshelf and can serve the purpose of cataloguing what is there. This can cross referenced with patron records to determine what books are legitimately checked out and what books may be have been mis-shelved or simply left laying around the library. (a chronic problem in even our modern libraries) Additionally, the RFID can act as placeholder for a location on the shelf to assist the librarian in assuring the books are returned to their proper location.
Security:
Gone are the days of the obvious bar code or other clunky methods of maintaining book security. With RFID, a tag can be placed inconspicuously under the label of a book. Additionally, RFID can also act as library key for staff. At my former employer we were all assigned "door keys" with RFID chips so when we approached the building the door would automatically unlock allowing us entrance without having to pull out our keys. Ideally, this works as a mechanism for safety as it allows quick entry for staff who may have hands full or may need to just get into the building quickly. This could also be extended as a mechanism for protecting rare collections by requiring that a patron check out a "key" to gain access to rooms with irreplaceable materials. The uses for RFID's are limitless, as evidenced by the growth of this technology in libraries all over the world.
Adaptive Technologies
Advances in technologies to make life easier for the average user must be supplemented by adapting these technologies for the not-so-average user. It would be difficult to cover in a comprehensive way the adaptive technologies available on the market today. Instead, I will focus on a few key advancements in adaptive devices. Adaptive technologies fall into three categories, the include hardware and software. (that seems familiar). An example of an adaptive software would be voice recognition technology.
Voice Recognition Technology:
This was the "no way" technology back when I was in high school. There were ruminations of it on programs like 60 minutes, but no one really thought it was possible. Today this technology has been mainstreamed from learning assistance programs like the SALT Center at the University of Arizona to everyday functions like your credit card companies "help line". In layman's terms, voice recognition systems work by translating the "analog" wave of humans voice into digital data that the computer can understand. This is achieved by taking continuous samplings of the analog wave an parsing them together into a digital stream. This stream is filtered, normalize, and then pieced into recognizable segments and (through a very complicated process) is matched up with the appropriate data which is then displayed on the screen. May of these programs have available vocabularies of over 60,000 words. (your credit card company, less so)
Issues with VRT stem from a number of predictable factors; like the voice clarity of the end user, issues with background noise, or dealing with local dialect. Another thorn in the side of the VRT are hononyms, i.e. words that sound alike but have very different definitions. (my personal favorite is chili/chilly) Additionally, it's important to note that often VRT programs can overrun a processor. These programs are quite involved and realistically are only capable of running successfully on high end system.
Adaptive hardware serve to physically modify the components of the computer to meet the needs of the end user. Examples of adaptive hardware include braille keyboards, joystick mouses, screen magnifiers, and scanners. Another example of an adaptive device that has worked it's way into mainstream uses is the tablet laptop. The tablet laptop computers electronically capture handwritten notes. The computer supports handwriting recognition, allowing the user to write directly on the screen (with a non-ink digital pen) while the tablet translates the handwriting into keyboard-style text. This operates on the same principle as the VRT in that it takes analog information and converts it to a digital format. This allows an end user to who may have difficulty navigating a keyboard to have access to have access to word processing functions of a regular computers.
Adaptive Technologies and Libraries
Technology to Benefit Libraries for Librarians: RFID
It would be easy to argue in favor of any one of these technologies in light of the benefit to the librarian. However, I have chosen RFID because of the multitude of ways in which the library and the librarian benefit from this technology. The level of efficacy of a library within the community is generally driven by one motivating factor: budget. RFID technologies win in terms of the impact on the budget of a library. RFID technology achieves this affect by saving library's money in terms of time saved checking out, checking in, shelving, and inventory. Additionally, the level of theft prevention afforded the RFID technology can result in massive savings in the budget which can be spent buying new materials (and technologies) versus replacing lost or stolen items.
Technology to Benefit Libraries for Patrons: Open URL Resolvers
I chose this technology because as a graduate student I love, love, love the Open URL Resolvers made available in the online database searches through the U of A libraries. This technology empowers the end user by affording them options when searching for specific documents. It is SO nice (especially on large research projects) to have a full html document made available to me. Even when the full HTML document isn't available my searching capabilities are expanded beyond levels that I (or the typical end user) may have not been aware of by being provided alternative research options. The topic of information access that is sometimes overlooked is the duty of the library to not only provide the end user with information but also the provision of tools that will potentially make the search easier in the future. Open URL Resolvers fit this bill to a tee and therefore are by FAR my personal favorite technology in terms of improving library services for the patron.
