You’re Invited to #libchat
15/03/2011 § 18 Comments
This guest post comes to us from Natalie Binder. It was originally posted on her blog, The Binder Blog. Natalie is a master’s degree student at Florida State University’s School of Information and Communication (FSU-SLIS), with concentrations in technology and special collections. She currently works at a public library as a cataloger and IT specialist.
Joining a Twitter chat is a great way to actively engage with what’s happening right now in the field, and gain some valuable information and connections. We encourage anyone who can to join us for the inaugural #libchat this week!
If you’re a librarian or bookseller, library paraprofessional or student, you’ve probably experienced the rush of energy & productivity that accompanies a trip to a conference or trade show. Networking! Blog posts! New projects! How do you find and maintain that energy at home? You join a Twitter chat, of course! Starting Wednesday, March 16, from 8-9:30 EST, and continuing every Wednesday, #libchat will host a meeting of the minds on books, libraries and technology. Think of it as a library conference at your desk.
How #libchat works
Libchat is modeled on other great Twitter chats like #journchat and #pr20chat. If you’ve never participated in a Twitter chat before, here’s how it works:
Before and during the chat, tweet questions (without the hashtag) to me @nataliebinder. I’ll tweet them on the #libchat hashtag, something like this:
nataliebinder: Q1 Does your library lend ebooks? Why or why not? #libchat
To participate, just reply with the question number, your response, and the tag “#libchat.” For example:
you: Q1. We love ebooks! #libchat
Services like Twitterfall, TweetGrid, or TweetChat can make it easier to follow a chat. Try some different models to see what works best for you.
Who should come to #libchat
Librarians, library and information students, booksellers, vendors, book critics and everyone who loves libraries and books. Twitter chats are a great way to meet new people and score some new followers & friends.
Potential #libchat topics
- Digital rights management.
- Libraries and the digital divide.
- Advocacy and budget negotiations.
- Library school.
- Employment and the MLIS job market.
These are just some of the issues we could explore in our first #libchat. If there’s anything you want to ask your friends and colleagues, comment on this blog post or tweet them to @nataliebinder, and I will add them to the list of #libchat questions. At the end of the session, you can also tweet your library-related resources, products and blog posts on the hashtags #libchat and #libpitch. Hope to see you there!
How I Hacked Library School – WEB APPS!
18/02/2011 § 32 Comments
The internet is awesome. And daily it is getting more and more awesomer. The best part is that a lot of what makes it great are the web-based tools that are being developed to help us users make sense of the vastness of the internet. I think we have gone beyond Web 2.0 (finally) and are now encountering a web where stuff gets done, efficiently, effectively and linked-edly. Some might call it Web 3.0, or the semantic web; I’d like to refer to it as Web as WorkSpace (WawS). The key to WawS? Web apps galore.
My Chrome WebApps
Since I am coming from an online MLIS program (Florida State University) I quickly acclimated to doing coursework online – in Blackboard and attending class in Elluminate. Those are fine for the basics (discussion boards, lectures), but what about when I have a Digital Library project due and my group members live in Florida and South Carolina, while I am in NYC? Our need to have real time collaboration in spaces that are easy to use and familiar led us to Dropbox, Google Docs, and Skype. [Check out the process of my digital library project here.] In fact, I have been the biggest evangelist of web apps in any of my classes, and I have yet to figure out why more LIS students aren’t using WawS to hack library school. Want details? You got it:
LIS Student Day in the Life
16/02/2011 § 13 Comments
Inspired by the evermore popular “Librarian Day in the Life” Series, HackLibSchool is proud to welcome guest author Rose Chou. Rose approached us and suggested an article on Time Management, which she included in a section below. As busy as we all are, how does one find time to live between work, school and responsibilities? How do you do it? Look for a related posts coming in the future from HLS contributing writer Lauren Gibaldi titled, “How to Make Time for Library School,” and this Friday from Micah Vandegrift on “How I Hacked Library School – WEB APPS!!“
Rose is a first year MLIS student at San Jose State University. She blogs at AnthroArchivist and is on Twitter @roselovec
Librarian Day in the Life – LIS Student Edition: Rose
9:15am: Wake up and make coffee. 9:15 seems pretty late to wake up on a weekday, but it’s because I’ll be at work until 12:30am — and I want to make sure I’m alert through all of it.
