Juxtapositions

Introduction to KidReadz - A Virtual Children's Librarian

2008-07-02T09:11:00.014-04:00

Please take a look at this short video clip, which introduces the KidReadz Service [A Virtual Children's Librarian] that soon will be launched. This video tells you something about KidReadz, which is an online community for children of the Picture Book Age.
It explains how teachers can use the service to find curricula and lesson plans to use picture books in their classrooms.

In addition, it tells a bit about sites for teens and children of other ages, that are also coming soon.

KidReadz and all of the other media services are divisions of ReadyReadz -- A Virtual Youth Librarian .

What Is This Blog -- And Why?

2008-06-29T22:27:00.009-04:00

Just in case anyone has stumbled upon this blog unaware, I thought that I'd explain the spark that led to this flame.

Along with several other people, I am in the final days of a summer school graduate class at Rutgers University. The class, taught by Steve Garwood, is designed to introduce and provide a practice ground for using several of the newer Social Information tools, that are largely free (Open Source) over the Internet.

The platform for this blog is free. The class has also created podcasts, worked with Flickr, created wikis, and played some online games.

The experience has been great -- as far as I am concerned. My only regret about my experience is that I took the class during the summer. A summer session does not allow enough time to adequately learn how to use these resources. That was not a shortcoming of Garwood's. It is merely the summer school system.

As it turns out, we have only had time to scratch the surface of what is available in Social Information. I especially want to learn how to create audio-visual blogs or vodcasts.

I do expect to delve into that area further.

This class was taught via screen captures, Camtasia software, and vodcasts.

I intend to continue this blog and the numerous other blogs that I began during this session.
ReadyReadz Wiki
KidReadz Teachers Blog
Dr. Seuss Wiki
My Rainbow World - A Wiki Curriculum
Brer Rabbit Wiki
Brer Rabbit Blog
TeenReadz Wiki
TeenReadz Blog
KidReadz Blog
Caldecott Medals Wiki

I've Walked in Space -- and Flown!

2008-06-28T14:32:00.004-04:00

Well, I can now say that I have walked in space. Well, my name was Madge Magic there--but Madge is really me.

If this weren't such a busy week, I might really have enjoyed my visit to Second Life more.

I actually had to get my teenager to help me get Madge out of the sky. She wanted to fly everywhere. But that was sort of fun. In fact, it was a thrill. I saw a red dragon and wanted to ride the dragon--like in Never Ending Story. But that Dragon didn't want to taxi me around.

One thing that I noted was my preoccupation with Madge's appearance. I never did get it quite right. I can definitely see how the appearance thing and one's identity with the Avatar could become an obsession.

I could probably really enjoy a Second Life, if my First Life wasn't slammed with things that I have to get done.

Is It True That Everthing "Bad" Is Good for Us -- or Do We Merely Need to Re-Define "Bad"

2008-06-28T12:23:00.024-04:00

Let's play a game. Everyone close your eyes and focus for a second. When I say a word, don't speak--just visualize the word that I have said.

Okay -- Get Ready -- Here's the Word: "Library."

Of course, I can't say this for sure; but I bet most of you thought about a physical place--probably of bricks and glass--filled with books. It was probably a quiet place. It may have even been a fairly empty place--in regards to patrons. Yet, the patrons and the staff that you envisioned were probably flesh and blood humans--and the library and books were probably also real, and tangible.

If this is fairly close to what you have envisioned, you are correct--at least as far as the traditional concept of a library goes; but you are only partially correct, in terms of the ways that things are evolving.

The traditional library was created in the 19th century. This is the 21st century. In the 19th century, books were the stock and trade of the library. In the 21st century, books are only part of what the library must encompass. Now, libraries are challenged to also function digitally--to deal with bits--as well as books.

Things have changed. Information itself has changed. The needs of the patrons have changed. If the library hopes to continue to serve the patrons, it must also change--in many ways.

But the primary change that is required is one of attitude.

Above all else, today's library must be open. It must be willing to consider new ideas, new data, and new ways of doing things, because these new ideas, this new data, and these new ways of doing things ARE the patrons--and most importantly, the Patrons ARE the library.

A library for today's patrons--especially for today's younger patrons--must include options for electronic gaming, music, dvd's, computers, technological gadgets, multimedia software, etc. Many potential patrons, who would prefer to never read another book, would enjoy these other services and items.

It is important for the library to realize that these other items--that these other non-book services have significant merit, in their own rights.

In his book, Everything Bad is Good For You, Steven Johnson discusses the merits of the nonliterary popular culture. Among other things, he says the following:

"Increasingly, the nonliterary popular culture is honing different mental skills that are just as important as the ones exercised by reading books." (p. 23).

Most libraries need to expand their services so that the 21st century patrons are served in the media that THEY deem to be valid.

The library can elect to keep doing things the same, old, bricks and mortar, books-only, 19th century way--and hope that an occasional fly will flit through the building. Or it can opt to change and serve today's patrons, just the way that they are--not the way that the library wishes that they were.

When In Rome Do As the Romans Do.

When In the 21st Century Do As the 21st Centurians Do --

Or Don't Do As the 21st Centurains Do. Those are our options.

But if the choice is the latter, we should not be surprised to discover that funding is affected. After all, if the taxpayers are not being served by the library, why should the taxpayers continue to support it?

In summary, I'd like to return to my original point: the primary change that is required is one of attitude.

I have to think that the title of Steven Johnson's book [Everything Bad Is Good For You] is a tease. The title should actually be something along the line of: Many Things That You Traditionally Have Thought Were "Bad" Are Actually Good For You: Let's Reconsider the Meaning of "Bad." Let's Examine Our Attitudes.

Johnson, Steven. (2005). Everything ad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. New York: Penguin Group.

Does Pop Culture Deliver Stupidity? No! The Current Is Too Fast For That!

2008-06-28T08:56:00.013-04:00

The pendulum is in motion! With every swing, new technology adds more bells and whistles to the Pop Culture Toy Chest.

Information eddies and rushes, from a stream that is ever-widening. No need for today's kid researchers to go to the library--to pull out the card catalogs and periodicals. Research is at home--at the tip of one's fingers.

Life is simple. Kids today have it made--right?

NO!

I have been in the teaching and parenting business for many years; and I have watched a few trends come and go. It might seem that kids today are on Easy Street. It might seem that because of all of the research time that they are saving, that they should be able to prop up their feet, eat, drink, make merry, surf around, video game themselves down the drain, and still manage to do their homework.

It might seem that Pop Culture has delivered to kids a recipe for Slovenly Stupidity; but that is not what I have observed.

True--kids today have more gadgets that would ostensibly make research and schooling simpler; but they are expected to do twice as much work, too.

More ground is covered faster in classes; and more and more classes are added to the curricula.

Getting into a good college becomes more difficult each year.

College-bound kids are tutored for the SAT, because SAT scores can make them or break them.

For a group who are often characterized as lazy and spoiled, kids today function under a great amount of pressure. They are walking on a very thin tightrope. Just getting from Point A to Point B requires a certain amount of savvy.

I don't know how anyone could believe that Pop Culture is making kids today stupid. Kids today are functioning at a higher level than at any other time in history. Even today's games are tough!

In his book Everything Bad Is Good For You, Steven Johnson, discusses how very un-fun today's games can often be:

"The dirty little secret of gaming is how much time you spend not having fun. You may be frustrated; you may be confused or disoriented; you may be stuck." (p. 25).

Even at play, today's kids function at intense levels. To resolve game issues, they are required to undertake engineering and strategic missions that many would not tackle for money.

Is Pop Culture Stimulating? Yes!

Does Pop Culture Deliver Stupidity? Hardly!

Today's Pop Culture might offer a bit of comic relief and an occasional breath of fresh air to today's kids; but kids today have little time to wallow in stupidity. The current is too fast. Kids today can barely stay afloat.

If we really want to discuss the problems with today's culture -- that is it.

Kids today can barely stay afloat. The current is too fast.

Johnson, Steven. (2005). Everything ad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. New York: Penguin Group.

Image from www.booksamillion.com

Nings: Country Clubs and/or Esprit de Corps

2008-06-28T07:08:00.006-04:00

Nings are custom social networks. They are online communities created for a designated group.

At first glance, Nings look great. They have a great face.

Libraries might consider creating Nings--as ways to create custom social networks--and to foster the stickiness needed to provide community for their patrons. Yet, a consideration needs to be taken into account.

In the article "Viewing American Class Divisions Through Facebook and MySpace," Boyd discusses how social networks have a tendency toward a type of social caste system.

It seems to me that Nings could be something of a virtual Country Club--suffering from some level of exclusiveness.

After all, who invites whom, when Nings are being formed?

America's public libaries cannot fall into any level of exclusion. We are Free Public Libraries for all of our people. If we are to be a community, we must be an umbrella--one that encompasses all of the factions.

Yet, Nings, just of a library's staff, could be effective. A small Ning of this nature would invite all of the members of the staff--and no exclusion would take place. A Staff Ning could be a way of building esprit de corps. It could be a good message and sounding board for the staff. But Nings for the entire library--no, I can't see that happening.

Library Patrons Are Like Ships That Pass in the Night -- Social Networks Could Bring Them Into the Same Harbor

2008-06-28T06:58:00.007-04:00

For many years, people have considered America’s librarians to be physical places—what Chris Anderson (Long Tail 2006) would call bricks and mortar places—that serve flesh and blood people.

Many of the people who share the same libraries don’t actually know each other. Occasionally, they pass each other—like ships in the night—as they come and go. Woven into a library’s common web, they have what Boyd & Eillson (2007) call “latent ties.” They exist in a mutual community; but they don’t really connect. [Incidentally, statistics seem to indicate that the members of the traditional library community don’t actually come to the library very often either; and for many reasons their absences are felt.]

Libraries could learn several things from social communities—like MySpace and Facebook.

In another post, I discussed the manner in which like-minded people find each other in social networks. I discussed the cohesiveness that results from their virtual connections, saying the following: “When visitors look at various profiles, they gravitate toward others who seem most like themselves. This discovering and connecting with the familiar becomes a cohesiveness—a glue that binds people within social groups. Thus, it is the “stickiness” that holds the networks together and brings users back again and again.”

If libraries learn nothing else from social networks, they need to take note of this last trend. This “stickiness” that occurs when people connect.

In their article "Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship," Boyd & Ellison say that the people who ultimately connect in virtual communities actually had “latent ties” beforehand. Again, they were like ships in the night—merely passing. It was the connecting that mattered—that gave the relationship purpose—that brings the people back into the site again and again.

In her book Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online Meredith Farkas (2007) says that many libraries have become the “physical hubs” of their communities. (p. 73).

I certainly cannot speak for all of the nation’s libraries; but from what I have observed, I would amend Farkas and say that a few libraries have become their communities’ physical hubs. I would say that most libraries have the potential to be that physical hub; but that they fail to step up to the plate.

When I think of a wheel and a hub, I think of spokes that connect and circulate—that function as a unit. Ships that pass in the night are not wheels—they are not hubs. The library needs to find ways to pull its ships into the same harbor. Social networks—virtual communities could help.

Anderson, Chris. ( 2006). The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More.
boyd, danah. 2007. "Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace ." Apophenia Blog Essay. June 24 . http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html

boyd, d. m., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.htm

Farkas, Meredith. (2007). Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together and Other Sticky Situations on MySpace and Facebook

2008-06-27T22:13:00.013-04:00

In the article "Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace,” Danah Boyd discusses some “sticky” issues concerning MySpace and Facebook.

Both of these virtual communities are relatively new. MySpace was launched in 2003 and Facebook in 2004. At this time, both communities serve large populations of young people.

Contrary to the superstitions of some, most members of MySpace and Facebook are not “networking.” In other words, they are not using their virtual communities as avenues to seek connections with absolute strangers.

In the article "Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship," Boyd & Ellison distinguish between the terms “social network” and “networking” as follows: "Networking" emphasizes relationship initiation, often between strangers. While networking is possible on these sites [online social communities], it is not the primary practice on many of them. . . . What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather. . . these meetings are frequently between "latent ties" (Haythornthwaite, 2005) who share some offline connection."

As part of their community involvement, users are encouraged to create profiles that express their individual interests. Research indicates that in selecting the appearances of their profiles, users reflect even more about themselves. When visitors look at various profiles, they gravitate toward others who seem most like themselves. This discovering and connecting with the familiar becomes a cohesiveness—a glue that binds people within social groups. Thus, it is the “stickiness” that holds the networks together and brings users back again and again.

In the virtual world, it seems that it is also true that "birds of a feather flock together."

As researchers began to analyze which community various individuals tended to select, another type of stickiness began to surface--the kind of stickiness that seems to be pervasive, when attempting to say something that is awkward.

Although it seemed inappropriate--or perhaps tasteless--to mention it, Boyd began to note that people of the working class--the less educated--seemed more at home in MySpace and people of the more professional class seemed more at home at Facebook.

As she mentioned this trend, Boyd acknowledged that people don't generally like to openly admit issues having to do with social class. She acknowledged that the discussion was a "sticky" situation.

I don't know whether this suggests that virtual snobbery is alive and well; but it does seem to suggest that a virtual line has been drawn in the virtual sand of the virtual communities.

boyd, danah. 2007. "Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace ." Apophenia Blog Essay. June 24 . http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html

boyd, d. m., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.htm

Rock Band Rocks!

2008-06-25T21:26:00.001-04:00

My son and I just finished playing a game of Rock Band on his Xbox 360 entertainment system. For months I have been hearing the constant rhythmic thumping of the electronic drumset (included with the game) without realizing exactly what was going on, but I finally got a chance to try it first-hand tonight. When I went downstairs to ask him to play one of his games with me, he was already playing the guitar (also included with the game), clicking the color-coded buttons in rhythm as they made their way down the screen at a seemingly impossible pace. I decided I would give the drums a try. Within minutes (after choosing a much easier difficulty level), we were playing songs as unique parts of the fictional band that we created in the game. We played songs by all kinds of artists, ranging from the grungy sound of Nirvana to the more vintage sound of bands from my era, like Mountain. It was interesting to play the game, because not only was it incredibly addicting and fun, we both had the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and also enjoy music from each other’s unique generations as we virtually performed them in the game together. It was very refreshing to play a game like this. The object of the game is not violent or antagonistic; rather, it is entirely cooperative. I hope games like this continue to be popular with today’s youth as they promote much better values while still managing to be incredibly fun.

Family-Friendly and Affordable, The Nintendo Wii Is the Best Choice for Libraries

2008-06-25T21:22:00.000-04:00

After conducting research online to decide which videogame console I would buy for my library, I finally decided that I would buy a Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo Wii is an excellent choice of interactive entertainment because, of the three primary videogame consoles in the market, it has a reputation for being the most family friendly, by far. It is very easy to play with as it utilizes a very simple controller (shaped similarly to a standard TV remote, but smaller) that has the fewest buttons of the three main entertainment consoles available. However, what really makes the Nintendo Wii’s controller stand out is its ability to recognize and implement the user’s physical movements in-game for a truly interactive experience. Most games on the Nintendo Wii are also very easy to jump into and play. Many of these games are, appropriately for this situation, designed for many people to play at the same time. These games help bring people together and strengthen the feeling of community in the library, but what’s more than all of this, the games are just plain fun to play.

Audio Is Important in Teaching Youth – AudioVisual is Even Better

2008-06-22T08:24:00.006-04:00

Reference to the following article: Oblinger,Diana & Oblinger, Jamers. (2006). Is it age or IT: First steps toward understanding the Net generation. CSLA Journal, 29 (2), 8-16. [Focus: 21^st Century Learning: How Does it Affect the Library?]

Especially in teaching youth, audio and audio-visual formats are preferable to mere text. Research indicates that today’s students are not text-oriented. They require a more immediate, participatory learning experience—preferably one with visuals. I could continue to offer my personal opinion about this issue; but I decided to allow recognized authorities to continue this discussion. Educational literature is filled with the following information. [This is the first article that I picked up, from a stack of similar articles]:

“Exposure to IT begins at very young ages. . . . It’s not just teenagers who are wired up and tuned in, it’s babies in diapers as well.” (p. 8).

“Consistent with the multitasking . . . it is the norm for children and teenagers to be online while simultaneously watching TV, talking on the phone or listening to the radio.” (p. 8).

“Children may be developing greater digital literacy than siblings who are just a few years older. For example, over two million American children (ages 6-17) have their own Web sites. . . . And the ability to use nontext expression--audio, video, graphics—appears stronger in each successive cohort.” (p. 8).

“The Net Gen are more visually literate than previous generations: many express themselves using images. They are able to weave together images, text, and sound in a natural way.” (p. 10).

“They crave interactivity. And the rapid pace with which they like to receive information means they often choose not to pay attention if a class is not interactive, unengaging, or simply too slow.” (p.10).

“Researchers report Net Gen students will refuse to read large amounts of text, whether it involves a long reading assignment or lengthy instructions. . . . The Net Gen’s experiential nature means they like doing things, not just thinking or talking about things.” (p. 10).

“For the Net Gen, the Internet is like oxygen: they can’t imagine being able to live without it.” (p. 11).

“The short attention spans of Net Geners also point to interaction as an important component of instruction.” (p. 13).

“. . . although reading text may be the preferred mode of learning for faculty, librarians, and other academics, it is not the preferred mode for most of the population. . . . In fact, overreliance on text may inhibit Net Gen participation.” (p. 14).

“Learning science indicates that successful learning is often active, social, and learner-centered. However, with the multiple responsibilities of faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as the large numbers of students most campuses serve, ensuring successful learning without the support of IT may be impossible. . . . With the appropriate use of technology, learning can be made more active, social, and learner-centered. . . “ (pp. 14-15).

To summarize:

I suppose there might be a limited number of reasons that an audio format could be distracting. Yet, I really cannot think of any. If noise was a concern, headphones could solve the problem. Audio precludes the use of some who have hearing disabilities; yet, visual precludes others.

Bottom line, an audio [as well as audio-visual] approach has unlimited positive uses. It can be an educational answer for both students and teachers. It is an essential part of IT.

Listen About Joel Chandler Harris

2008-06-22T00:13:00.014-04:00

Dog Beach Morning in South Jersey

2008-06-21T17:48:00.009-04:00

This is not an assignment; but I want to show you a very simple, free, open source program, called Photo Story 3. It is great for classrooms and school libraries. Young children could even use this program. The video is much sharper, before it is embedded. The clarity seemed to dissolve in the beach haze--or at least, in transmission.

Working Through Silence at Rutgers

2008-06-21T15:27:00.011-04:00

During this semester, I am taking a class in Social Information. We have read some books that ostensibly have little to do with being a librarian. Yet, on closer inspection the books say much to all of us--even librarians.

Here are a few more of my photographs:
www.flickr.com/photos/jkscils598x08/

I am pursuing my degree online; and I do most of my work late at night. I guess I can honestly say that my best friends are my children, my dog, and my books. Yet, as I did this project, I realized that I have a few more best friends, including the children who I serve as a Children's Librarian, Starbucks coffee, color, my computer--equipped with my gigantic monitor, and art.

The following set, titled "Sounds of Silence," says more about my graduate work at Rutgers: www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=set s

You might want to also see photographs taken by my classmates.
www.flickr.com/groups/scils598x08-edexperienc e/

Google Analytics Report June 20

2008-06-21T12:00:00.024-04:00

Google Analytics Report - Information Gathered On June 20, 2008

104 Visits [35 of them are me from other sites]

· 53 from Comcast [I am Comcast]
· 31 Optimum Online
· 11 Verizon
· 3 New Jersey State Library
· 3 Road Runner
· 1 Rutgers and various others
23.8% New Visitors

Al My visitors live in the Northeastern part of USA

Browsers:

· Firefox 89.42%a
· Internet Explorer 19.58%

Operating Systems:

· Windows 93.27%
· Mac 6.73%

Connection Speeds:

· Cable 87%
· DSL 8%
· TI 4%
· Unknown 5%

Bounce Rate 58.65%

An interesting note:

I have essentially the same information posted on another blog ; and the results are totally different. On the same day, Analytics showed that I had fewer visits [only 26]; but the visitors came from 6 different countries. My only explanation is that the tags must have been slightly different. This seems to verify the importance of filtering, tags, metadata, etc.

Libraries Can Benefit from Their Long Tails

2008-06-21T11:58:00.003-04:00

To summarize: In his book The Long Tail, Chris Anderson discusses a recent trend in the media industries. Once dominated by a few major players, the media market now includes a diluted, extended trail—a “Long Tail”—of minor players, who have created a string of niche markets.

I really can’t speak for all libraries; but my little library has a very long tail—especially in the adult sections. The problem is not as acute in the children’s section, because that department is new. The children’s section has an abundance of the best, the brightest, and the freshest available. There are also numerous dusty, old books [like the Dr. Doolittle treasure that I recently found]; but the flashy books prevail. Our new children’s books fly off of our shelves.

The adult part of the library has been ongoing for many decades; and it is clouded by a plethora of tired, worn books that really don’t reach out and grab passersby. Still, many--like the old Dr. Dolittle--are gems, rotting in mildewed caves.

Anderson speaks of an 80/20 rule, saying that 20% of the population accounts for 80% of the results. In the adult section of our library, that figure is a dream. A narrow pocket of books circulate; and the rest sit. I’d venture to guess that the ratio is more like 95/5.

Our library has an extremely long tail, just sitting and withering—right inside our own walls. That says nothing about the untapped niche markets lying within the grasp of ILL.

My little library is a Free Public Library—at least that is currently the case. I am a Children’s Librarian; and I spend very little time with our library’s statistics. Yet, even I am aware that the threat of funding cuts looms on the horizon. Funding is somehow allocated according to circulation. Anderson’s book speaks of sales; in public libraries, circulation numbers are money.

Anderson also speaks of the satisfaction ratio, when buyers discover the long tail. Several factors affect which of the media becomes the hit parade and which falls by the wayside. In most cases, quality is not the prevailing factor. In many cases, the bestsellers and the rest of the hit parade are mediocre. They are designed to appeal to a mass of people. They are often formulaic. Media of higher quality—media designed to provoke thought and foster satisfaction often falls outside the cut. Many patrons would welcome discovering the niche markets. They just don’t know they are there.

If the public realized exactly what the library offers—for no money, things would no doubt be different. The quiet, empty tombs would probably become thriving, pulsating marketplaces--veritable tag sales. If the public realized exactly what the library offers—for no money, public policy makers would have a very short platform for preaching funding cuts.

Absolutely, our libraries need to find ways to push our patrons down into our long tails—the physical, brick and mortar ones and the longer, virtual tail. We need to increase our circulation statistics. Beyond that, we need to pull away the blanket that masks the treasures that are hiding—just beyond reach. If patrons are unaware that books and media are available, they really cannot be expected to “check them out.”

Libraries Pay the Piper as New Producers, New Markets, and New Tastemakers for Products of The Long Tail

2008-06-19T12:20:00.012-04:00

More about Chris Anderson's The Long Tail Chris Anderson [discussion begins below] and a reference to Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online Meredith Farkas (2007)

Unlike the giants of the hit parade, the bulk of the niche producers operate without financial backing. They represent the “l’art pour l’art” [art for art’s sake] of the media world.

Very simply, the art for art’s sake movement was a purist philosophy that depended upon art’s being created for completely noncommercial reasons. In the media world, this movement probably would not include Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, John Grisham, Stephen King, Katie Couric, etc. Any of these people may have begun with more noble aspirations; but at this point, they are cornerstones of the media “hit parade.” Even they would probably agree that now they represent a huge commercial enterprise.

In media, the niche markets are small pockets--often of the media’s “starving artists.” Largely, the producers are amateurs. Chris Anderson reminds us that “. . . the word ‘amateur’ derives from the Latin amator, ‘lover,’ from amare, ‘to love’).” (p. 63).

In music, the niche producers are the veritable garage bands. In literature and other journalism, the niche producers are the bloggers and the online journalists. In short, the niche markets have evolved with very little monetary exchange.

Again, the niche markets represent “l’art pour l’art.”

The idea is virtuous; but any movement without some means of financial support is doomed. At the very least, someone has to pay the rent and buy the food. To be commonly blunt, "Someone has to pay the piper." Unless all of the niche producers married or inherited well, they ultimately must be paid; elect to starve and/or be homeless; or else focus their time and energy in some area that does pay.

Chris Anderson says that for the “Long Tail” of niche markets to survive, someone or something has to push patrons (financial supporters) down into that tail—thus allowing the patrons (the finances) and the producers to connect. In short, the patrons must “find” the niche producers.

Unfortunately, because of their sheer numbers, dilution, and obscurity—the niche producers are not easily found. Discovering them is like finding the proverbial “needle in a haystack.” At least, that is the case, without filtering and aggregators.

In serving as filters and aggregators, libraries can be instrumental in helping the patrons and the niche producers connect—thus, in driving financial solvency down into and maintaining the “Long Tail.” And they can do so, on equitable terms. [Most of America's libraries are still "Free"].

In her book Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online Meredith Farkas (2007) says that libraries are “physical hubs” of their communities. (p. 73).

Ideally, libraries are equipped with technological tools that can help the niche producers create their wares. [This would further a tendency Anderson refers to as "democratizing production."] After the wares are created, libraries, as hubs, can help filter these wares to the public. [Anderson would no doubt refer to this as "democratizing distribution."] Because libraries are connected [via ILL and other networks], all of the individual hubs can be linked to create a national—even an international vein or web [worldwide web]--to unite niche markets and the public.

In determining which of the niche markets to support, circulate, aggregate, filter, and maintain, libraries are powerful agents in developing and fostering public taste. In doing so, America's Free Public Libraries are inadvertently long arms with the power to touch and fan the flame of an economic and philosophic revolution.

In essence, libraries are inadvertently "paying the piper."

In light of the continuous threat of funding cuts, one might question who would pay the piper of the pipers?

Anderson's Long Tail -- and the Future of Libraries

2008-06-14T08:53:00.019-04:00

Image is from www.booksamillion.com

Anderson, Chris. ( 2006). The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. [Also in Audio--as Shown in the Above Image].

Background of the Book:

In his book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More, Chris Anderson talks about ways that technology has impacted the entertainment and media businesses.

Among other things, Anderson discusses how Indy artists and self publishers have been able to emerge from the shadows—bringing with them the niche markets and a wider selection in these areas.

In surfing the Internet, looking for these new artists and authors, customers discovered a plethora of previously unrecognized media. Consequently, the appetites of the public have shifted—have broadened—beyond the traditional hit parade, which had previously fostered the efforts of a select few.

In order to satisfy these broadened appetites, it would have been necessary for stores to carry a vast selection of media—much of it might have never sold.

In terms of shelf space and square footage, the traditional store—housed in a physical building—became inadequate for meeting the demands of these niche markets; and the costs of expanding stores to accommodate the new markets were prohibitive.

Virtual stores—requiring very little shelf space, yet, capable of distributing a wide variety of media—became the new business model.

What should librarians note from Anderson’s observations in this book?

Librarians are also in the media and entertainment business--the book business. Some might argue with that point; yet, in light of funding cuts and a diminishing client base, it has become evident that libraries must become good businesses to survive.

Most libraries are still operating as traditional stores or "buckets" of books. In terms of shelf space and square footage, libraries are limited--in the same ways that businesses are limited--actually, more so.

In order to expand their media selections, librarians must also enhance their digital services.

The good news for libraries is that ILL is ahead of this game. ILL is a means through which libraries can greatly extend their physical holdings. It is crucial that libraries take advantage of the ILL services and market this service to their clients.

Yes, I said "market." Part of surviving in the business world is sufficient marketing. Libraries also need to improve in that department; but that is fodder for another blog.

PBWiki Slays Wikispaces - - - On Most Features!

2008-06-12T19:21:00.011-04:00

PBWiki Seem to be More Organized Than Wikispaces.

As far as I can see, the only way that Wikispaces is better than PbWiki-- is that educators can customize the space's appearance, without paying additional money. Other than that, PbWiki Has Tons of Help Videos -- Tons of Templates -- PbWiki is ready to go.

Yet, I do like my free, pretty backgrounds at wikispaces:

http://kidreadzblog.blogspot.com/
http://teenreadzwiki.wikispaces.com/

Perhaps, I just don't see the organization aspect of that site.

I am going to try combining the two wiki sites -- to get the best of both worlds.

I will let you know how it goes.

Wikispaces Wikedly Great Deal for Educators

2008-06-10T18:16:00.007-04:00

Does everyone but me (until moments ago) realize that educators can set up wiki sites free?

Otherwise, there seems to be some type of charge--at least at every site that I have found.

I love color; and I want to appeal to a younger group of people. Therefore, I am enthusiastic about the sites that I have begun to develop on wikispaces:

http://teenreadzwiki.wikispaces.com/
http://kidreadzwiki.wikispaces.com/

[Before I say anything else, I want to commend the quick and personable response that I got from the "help" department at wikispaces. I have never before emailed for help and gotten a response in a matter of minutes. That happened twice today, when I was seeking help setting up these spaces.]

Initially, I did not think that it was possible to divide the wikispace into tables [columns and rows]. On further investigation, that feature is available, by clicking the table icon on the edit bar. By clicking the small television on the wikibar's edit bar, all kinds of other data [audio, video, rss feeds, chat, etc.,] can also be added to the page.

This is definitely a great place for educators to create what seems to be an unlimited assortment of interactive, educational displays.

Who's Minding the Store -- and the Abandoned Blogs? [My First Thoughts about the sites librarythings and goodreads]

2008-06-10T17:43:00.006-04:00

Until moments ago, I had never evaluated either goodreads or librarythings. I still don’t profess to be an expert on either website. At a glance, however, I formed a couple of opinions.

I registered for and entered the librarythings site first. I am a visual person; and I did not care for the appearance of the site. It seemed a little grandmotherly to me. I was, however, enthusiastic about all of the discussion groups that seemed to be ongoing. Yet, on closer examination, nothing seemed to be happening in either the children’s or young adult book groups—the only groups that I would consider joining. Disappointed, I jumped to the goodreads website.

Goodreads definitely has a smoother, more polished appearance. I was encouraged by my first impression of that website. Yet, when I actually scrutinized the children’s and young adult book discussion groups, little seemed to be happening there, either—at least not on a professional level. It appeared that a few mothers were asking a few questions and getting some very short answers. For parents or nonprofessionals, this website might be sufficient.

Goodreads does have a nice search feature; and people are allowed to rate and review books that they have read. Still, I was hoping to find a serious group, who would be more committed to in-depth discussions of children’s literature.

It does not appear that either of these sites offers that service. I admit, however, that I may simply have overlooked something valuable that actually is happening.

In making these quick observations, I seem to recognize what appears to be a less than favorable trend. It seems that there are numerous blogs "out there;" but no one is minding the store.

In my opinion, the Internet needs fewer starts and more finishes in the blogs department.

People Are Not Sponges: John Seely Brown on Learning

2008-06-10T13:43:00.005-04:00

Image from: www.booksamillion.com

A Discussion of the Book: The Social Life of Information by John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid. (2002). Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.

In The Social Life of Information, Brown and Duguid (2002) distinguish between mere information and learning—or knowledge, asserting that humans are not mere sponges. They say that if information, alone, equates knowledge, bots might indeed replace the need for human involvement toward prosperity. Yet, they assure that this is not the case.

Learning is a human response to information—it entails a knower and it requires processing, understanding, and internalizing of information.

Information stands alone.

Brown and Duguid develop this idea as follows: “In general, it sounds right to ask, ‘Where is that information?’ but odd to ask, ‘Where’s that knowledge?” (p. 119).

“People treat information as a self-contained substance. It is something that people pick up, possess, pass around, put in a database, lose, find, write down, accumulate, count, compare, and so forth. . . . You might expect, for example, someone to send you or point you to the information they have, but not to the knowledge they have.” (p. 120).

"Knowledge is something we digest rather than merely hold. It entails the knower’s understanding and some degree of commitment. Thus while one person often has conflicting information, he or she will not usually have conflicting knowledge. And while it seems quite reasonable to say, ‘I’ve got the information, but I don’t understand it,’ it seems less reasonable to say, ‘I know, but I don’t understand,’ or ‘I have the knowledge, but I can’t see what it means.’ “ (p. 120).

Learning is constructive assimilation.

As an individual selects information to process and further internalizes and learns that information, he/she constructs or molds the core of his/her being.

RSS Me?

2008-06-08T09:24:00.003-04:00

Blog Me! IM Me—no Meebo Me! Wiki Me? Twitter Me? Am I a Chicklet? [Probably not—at least, not yet]!

Feed Me? Rss Me? Well, Maybe Me!

i want to be del.icio.us!

Wow! My head is spinning!

A week ago, I had hardly heard of Web 2.0. I was not born in the Information Age. I think my “Tail is Long”— but I’m really not sure! I know that I was not “Born with a Chip!”

I have spent days signing up for accounts—checking them out—trying to absorb them; and honestly, at this point—I have to say that I am suffering from a serious case of Too Much Information!

Yet, I have glimpses of how Web 2.0 is going to help me!

Blogging is my new best friend. For 58 years, I have had thoughts and ideas that I knew I should be recording somewhere—reliable! I have always jotted them down—lost them—typed them into a Word document—lost them—but I think that Blog is going to be a good resource for keeping some things straight—in a place that won’t crash.

[Actually, I read somewhere that there is some speculation that the Internet might crash. I don’t know where I read that—that was before I learned to Blog]!

I am trying to understand RSS and Chicklets—but honestly, at this point, I am almost brain dead!

Everything that I have read says that RSS is the Cat’s Meow!

Personally, I like Dogs!

At this point, RSS has been a source of Information Overload for me; but that problem lies with me—not with RSS!

I have to ask, however, who has time to listen, watch, and absorb all of that RSS?

You can lead this horse to water; but she doesn’t have time to drink!

Tux Paint - Open Source Paint Program for Young Children

2008-06-07T15:40:00.002-04:00

Tux Paint has many features that are similar to those in Firefox -- even in Photoshop. Yet, this free program is simple enough to be handled by very young children.

In today's landscape with an ever-widening mulitmedia horizon, this is an excellent program--to help children become more technologically literate.

It is also good as an outlet for creativity.

The Text Tools and images can be combined, so that children can write and illustrate together.

Features, such as the Shapes Tool and the Stamp Tool could be used for teaching math.

The program can be downloaded, with or without the extra Stamp Software, at:

http://www.tuxpaint.org/

Both are free at this time.

M. T. Anderson's Feed -- and Me

2008-06-07T13:04:00.002-04:00

Image from www.booksamillion.com

Anderson, M. T. ( 2002). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

For Spring Break, Titus and his buddies take a trip, meet some girls, and get into a bit of trouble.

There’s nothing new about that storyline; but M. T. Anderson’s Feed is much more than the typical teen tale. It is an excursion into the not too distant future—and oddly, also deep into the present.

One might ask: “How can a book be both?” The answer is simple.

In one way, Feed is a sci-fi, fantasy book that paints a picture of life as it has not actually become.

In a Dickensian way, it is “Christmas Yet To Come.”

Yet, because of its outstanding writing and character development, it is also a candid, revealing reflection of the human spirit—an essence that is timeless.

The book takes place, after the citizens of Earth have essentially destroyed her. In a technological sense, most of the kids have a plethora of sophisticated toys. In fact, they, themselves, are basically technological toys. Almost all of them have an embedded, computerized “feed.” Not unlike today, the people with more financial resources are equipped with more bells and whistles.

In order to keep the feeds up and running, the physicians are essentially computer technicians. Again, those with more resources are able to afford better technical support; and those without adequate resources are simply out of luck. Unfortunately, Violet, the girl that Titus met on the moon, falls into the latter category.

Because of ecological problems, some of the health issues—the lesions, for example—are beyond treatment. But there seems to be little concern about the skin lesions. Everyone has them—they have become the fashion rage.

The plot, to this point, is basically futuristic science fiction. Yet, the characters are not at all futuristic.

The boys, who travel to the moon, are just teen boys. They horse around and do silly things. At times, the kids are insensitive and callous; but that is certainly not something new. When the they showed up in their ripped and shredded Riot clothes, I immediately thought of the $100 destroyed Abercrombie jeans—that line my son’s closet. While it is a bit shocking, the sporting of the lesions is much the same type of fashion-reaction.

Some of the girls have actually cut themselves and accentuated their lesions. That seems especially appalling; but most women today have similarly “cut” into themselves to accommodate pierced earrings. In some cultures, human scarification and piercings have persisted since antiquity.

The book takes place in the future; but it is a reflection of people—who always have been.

Superficially, the book is shocking; but on closer inspection, it is not.

I was appalled that Violet was allowed to desist—simply because she could not pay for technical support; but the scenario is actually not all that far-fetched.

Recently, I mortgaged my soul and bought what appeared would be my dream computer system. Unfortunately, the dream didn’t last long. I seem to have bought a lemon—and none of my problems are covered—without my continuously paying for live support, to adjust this or that. Just last week, I had to totally scrub my computer and start over. Certainly, I was not dying; but I felt as though I was.

Like almost everyone else, I am much too busy to stop and deal with computer problems. Yet, in scrubbing my computer, I lost more than time—I lost pictures, digital art, flash documents, business transactions, music, tomes of research, my own writing, and much of who I actually am.

My computer is not embedded inside my body; I don’t even wear it like a backpack—but it is very much a part of me. When my computer is "down," I am cast into panic. When my computer dies, part of me dies, as well. That, in itself, is a little scary.

In final analysis, I would have to say that Feed is a fantasy book that is more real than not. After reading the book, I must say that the thing that most shocks me about Feed is that it truly does not shock me at all.