Emerging Tech Expo Community Blog

If you attended the Emerging Tech Expo last week, please complete the brief evaluation at  http://tiny.cc/TExpo.

Your feedback will help us as we plan future emerging technology events.

Thank you!

Last chance to register for this special event! Hosting a combination of technology presentations and exhibits, the Emerging Tech Expo offers all Libraries staff a fun opportunity to explore technology in new ways, mingle with colleagues, and enjoy some delicious hors d'oeuvres. You are welcome to come and go as you please so pop in for a few minutes or stay the entire time! And don't forget, to be eligible for prize drawings you must be registered. View the complete program and floorplan. Register Now! Wednesday, November 18 , 2009 11:00 am - 1:30 pm 120 Elmer L. Andersen Library 222 21st Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455 U of M West Bank campus Campus Buses Reciprocal Parking Don't miss this exciting technology event sponsored by SED and IT Council. Explore • Play • Learn! This e-mail was sent by the University of Minnesota Libraries, 499 Wilson Library, 309 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA 612-625-9148. If you feel you have received this e-mail in error, or do not wish to receive Libraries Events e-mails, write libevent@umn.edu. Please read the University of Minnesota's e-mail privacy statement. For disability accommodations, or to receive this information in alternative formats, contact Francine Dupont-Crocker at fdupont@umn.edu. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. © 2009 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

Stay abreast of the technology landscape with this (developing) list of news resources! Recommended by IT Council members, these resources offer a wide variety of technology related-information. Enjoy!

• Ars Technica: "At Ars Technica--the name is Latin-derived for the "art of technology"--we specialize in original news and reviews, analysis of technology trends, and expert advice on topics ranging from the most fundamental aspects of technology to the many ways technology is helping us enjoy our world. We work for the reader who not only needs to keep up on technology, but is passionate about it." Source: http://arstechnica.com/site/about-ars-technica.ars
  
  
• CIO.com and CIO Magazine: "Starting in 1987 with CIO magazine, CIO's portfolio of properties has grown to provide technology and business leaders with insight and analysis on information technology trends and a keen understanding of IT's role in achieving business goals. The magazine and website have received more than 160 awards to date, including two Grand Neal Awards from the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards and two National Magazine of the Year awards from the American Society of Publication Editors."  Source: http://www.cio.com/about-cio
  
  
• CNET: "CNET shows you the exciting possibilities of how technology can enhance and enrich your life. We provide you with information, tools, and advice that help you decide what to buy and how to get the most out of your tech." Source: http://www.cnet.com/who-we-are/
  
  
• iLibrarian:News and resources on Library 2.0 and the information revolution.Written by Ellyssa Kroski.
  
  
• InformationWeek: "InformationWeek is the business technology market's foremost multimedia brand. We recognize that business technology executives use various platforms for different reasons throughout the technology decision-making process, and we develop our content accordingly. The real-world IT experience and expertise of our editors, reporters, bloggers, and analysts have earned the trust of our business technology executive audience."Source: http://www.informationweek.com/aboutus.jhtml
  
  
• Life Hacker: Daily weblog on software and personal productivity recommends downloads, web sites and shortcuts that help you work smarter and save time.
  
  
• NetworkWorld: "Network World is the premier provider of information, intelligence and insight for Network and IT Executives. With an editorial focus on delivering news, opinion and analytical tools for key decision makers who architect, deploy and manage business solutions -- Network World offers a unique and powerful combination of audiences and resources across Online, Print and Events to meet your marketing objectives." Source: http://www.networkworld.com/aboutus/default.html
  
  
• PC World / Macworld: "With over 25 years of brand awareness and credibility, PC World and Macworld consistently deliver editorial excellence through award-winning content and trusted product reviews.  Focusing on the PC, Apple and Mac markets, our highly respected brands bring together technology inspired consumers, readers, users, writers, newsmakers, journalists, reviewers, marketers and advertisers who all share a "consuming interest in technology."  Whether in print or online, our audience continually looks to PC World and Macworld for expert guidance and purchasing advice for their information technology needs" Source: http://www.pcworldmacworld.com/?page_id=4.
  
  
• Slashdot: "News for nerds. Stuff that matters."
  
  
• Tech News World: "All Tech - All the Time"
  
  
• Technology Review: "Technology Review and Technologyreview.com are published by Technology Review Inc., an independent media company owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The oldest technology magazine in the world (est. 1899), Technology Review aims to promote the understanding of emerging technologies and to analyze their commercial, social, and political impacts." Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/corp/about.aspx
  
  
• TechSpot: "TechSpot is a leading independent computer technology publication established in 1998. Read daily by thousands of technology enthusiasts, gamers and IT decision makers from around the world, TechSpot.com is home to over 3 million unique readers every month."  Source: http://www.techspot.com/about.shtml
  
  
• Webworker Daily: Offers practical tips and advice for anyone who uses the web for work, especially those who want to use the web to be more productive, more connected.
  

• Wired.com and Wired Magazine: "Wired readers want to know how technology is changing the world, and they're interested in big, relevant ideas, even if those ideas challenge their assumptions--or blow their minds. Wired readers are generally familiar with computers and the Internet, but this is definitely not a computer magazine--Wired won't teach you how to upgrade your RAM. Instead, it's a magazine about science, art, adventure, online culture, business, philosophy ... and bright shiny beautiful gadgets. Each month, more than 2 million smart, savvy readers come to Wired for clean, clear writing with a wry twist."  Source: http://www.amazon.com/Wired-1-year/dp/B00005N7TL
  

Additional Resources:

• Google Reader: Manage and read your emerging technology RSS feeds.

• UMN Library Blogs: Get the latest news and tips from your blogging colleagues.
  

ALA Connect is the American Library Association's social network.  Because it's relatively new, usage by ALA members is probably still pretty low.  However, it has a lot of potential and some units within ALA have begun it to conduct their business between conferences.

If you are a current ALA member, you can go to http://connect.ala.org and login with your ALA member number and password.  Once you're in, you can set up your profile and email notifications.  You may choose to be notified whenever something happens in every group to which you belong or on a group-by-group basis.  Additionally, if you hold a committee or elected position in ALA, your membership should be reflected under "My ALA Groups".

Pros:

• Keep up with committee activities
• Move working materials from private to public with one click
• Find like-minded librarians in a very large organization (forthcoming)
  
• Have content of interest from other parts of ALA pushed to you (forthcoming)

Cons:

• Yet another single-purpose network
• Many groups in ALA have already developed workable methods for managing their work
• Usefulness for members not on committees or in elected positions unclear

"Ning is a platform for creating your own social network. Our passion is putting new social networks in the hands of anyone with a good idea. With Ning, your social network can be for anything and anyone. You start by naming your social network and choosing a combination of features (photos, videos, forums, events, etc.) from an ever-growing list of options. You can then customize your social network's appearance and launch it! People who join your social network will automatically have a customizable profile page and will be able to message and friend each other."

Source: http://help.ning.com/cgi-bin/ning.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2695

It differs from Facebook and Myspace in that each of those tools combine both the platform and the network together whereas Ning provides the tools for lots of different networks.  Each network is independent and you would sign up for each one separately.

The fact that Ning networks can be single-purpose has benefits and drawbacks.  I rarely ever interact with the Ning to which I belong because I just don't have a particular need to do so.  Since other tools like Facebook and Twitter cross personal and professional boundaries, I'm much more likely to go to them on a regular basis.  I did just subscribe to the RSS feeds for the Library 2.0 ning, but so far, they've been quiet.

Pros:

• Lots of features - blogs, forums, audio, video, chat, photo hosting, many more
• None of the Facebook noise like chain-mail (25 things... notes), games (Mafia Wars), etc
• unobtrusive ads

Cons:

• usage
• notifications

Clients:

• none that I know of.  While some twitter clients also pull data from Facebook, Myspace, Friendfeed and LinkedIn, I haven't seen any that do so with Ning.

Backup Services

• same as for clients.
  

Presenters: Janet Fransen, Academic Programs - Science & Engineering; Jon Jeffryes, Academic Programs - Science & Engineering; Jody Kempf, Academic Programs - Science & Engineering
Time: 11:00 am-1:30 pm
Location: Andersen 120B/C
Description: We'll be demonstrating Google Tools that can help you collaborate, work more productively, and research.  We'll answer your questions about resources like Google Docs, Google Reader, Google Sites, Google Books, Google Scholar, Google Wave and more!
Handouts: GoogleForResearchers.doc
Additional Resources: Google for Researchers (Presentation on Moodle)

"Twitter is a free communication and social networking tool which allows you to convey short messages of up to 140 characters to your circle of friends via the Twitter website, SMS, email, IM, or other Twitter client. Messages appear not only within your profile on Twitter, but are sent to your community of followers who have signed up to receive your updates."

Source: http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2007/a-guide-to-twitter-in-libraries/

Pros:

• networking with geographically distant colleagues
• allows for passive interactions - don't have to friend another user most of the time
• plays well with other services like Google Reader, Flickr and Facebook
• lots of different clients
• don't have to have Twitter account to follow information on Twitter - can simply subscribe to a public feed

Cons

• a fair amount of downtime due to external attacks, major news events and/or failure of other popular services tends to result in overload of Twitter itself
• default Twitter settings only show a few weeks of one's own timeline and the built-in search only searches a few weeks of the full Twitter timeline
• archiving tools still developing
• can be overwhelming in volume, can splinter one's attention and decrease one's productivity if one doesn't develop methods for managing one's use of it.

Good Uses (or at least good starts):

• pushing catalog data to twitter - http://twitter.com/thehdc
• current awareness for collections - http://twitter.com/undata
• monitoring of conference notes - http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23dlf09f

Clients

• Mashable's list of the major clients: http://mashable.com/2009/06/27/twitter-desktop-apps/
• Features to consider include whether a client can update other social networks, whether it threads conversations in Twitter and whether it allows you to manage multiple accounts.
• I've tried about 6 or 7 different clients myself and so far have settled on Nambu because it threads conversations.  However, they're developing a new version of the software and no downloads are available.

Backing up Twitter:

• List of backup tools at http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-backup-your-twitter-archive/
  

Register now to be eligible for prize drawings! The Emerging Tech Expo is a special event for all Libraries staff that will host a combination of technology presentations and exhibits. You are welcome to come and go as you please throughout the event. Presentations are scheduled in 120A Andersen: 11:15 • The Virtual World of Second Life in Libraries (Denise Gamble) 11:45 • The Power of the Google Apps Collaborative Suite (Susan McKinnell, OIT) 12:15 • UThink: Blogs in Action (Shane Nackerud) 12:45 • The Past, the Present, and a Future of the Library Website with Drupal (Cody Hanson) Also explore exhibits on augmented reality, social networking, citation management, video production, screen and class capture, Google Apps, online Web authoring plus gadgets and mobile technologies...and yes, there will be prizes! Register now. Wednesday, November 18 , 2009 11:00 am - 1:30 pm 120 Elmer L. Andersen Library 222 21st Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455 U of M West Bank campus Campus Buses Reciprocal Parking Register Now Learn more! Don't miss this exciting technology event sponsored by SED and IT Council. Explore • Play • Learn! This e-mail was sent by the University of Minnesota Libraries, 499 Wilson Library, 309 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA 612-625-9148. If you feel you have received this e-mail in error, or do not wish to receive Libraries Events e-mails, write libevent@umn.edu. Please read the University of Minnesota's e-mail privacy statement. For disability accommodations, or to receive this information in alternative formats, contact Francine Dupont-Crocker atfdupont@umn.edu. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. © 2009 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

Presenters: Kristen Mastel, Academic Programs - Agricultural, Biological & Environmental Sciences, Anne Rojas
Time: 11:00 am-1:30 pm
Location: Andersen 120B/C
Description: Del.icio.us and other social bookmarking sites can be used for sharing useful links with staff at the references desk, sharing your bookmarks with others, or classes working to create a list of resources together.  YouTube is used for marketing, outreach, reference and beyond. 

Handouts:
Additional Resources: 

23 Things on a Stick entry regarding social bookmarking: http://23thingsonastick.blogspot.com/2007/11/thing-13-tagging-and-delicious.html

Examples of libraries and related organizations that use del.icio.us:
Information Literacy Collaborative: http://delicious.com/UMIL

EFW Library Links: http://delicious.com/efwlinks

U Libraries in the media: http://delicious.com/marlowelshons/buzz

Subject guide example from Buley Library: http://library.southernct.edu/physbib.htm

Course example of delicious: http://delicious.com/g300
ARLISnap: http://delicious.com/arlisnap

23 Things on a Stick entry regarding YouTube: http://23thingsonastick.blogspot.com/2007/11/thing-17-youtube-other-online-video.html

Presenters: Liya Ai, Information Technology - Library Enterprise Operations; Amy West, Academic Programs - Data Services
Time: 11:00 am-1:30 pm
Location: Andersen 120B/C
Description: Facebook, Twitter, Ning, LinkedIn, ALA Connect
Handouts: Expo_SocialNetworking.pptx
Additional Resources: 

• Facebook vs. LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Ning
• ALA Connect