If you just can't get enough, visit: Page of Concrete.
Cheers,
hyde_from_systems
hyde_from_systems
P.S. SystemsKitty: Gus and Magnus, kitties extraordinaire!
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Systems Thinking
Welcome to the tenth and final blog entry on this Systems metablog!
In the beginning, hyde_from_systems felt irrational fear at the concept of thinking like a Systems Librarian would think, but it has come to pass that this fear has been substituted with something a little more like acceptance. It is clear that anyone who will be working in the Information Management business will have to engage in systems thinking, either of the soft and/or hard variety. I envision my professional life to have many more instances of soft systems analysis within the human resource management realm, but I can (now.. after some time) accept that I will also need to know how the hard systems in the library work. Perhaps it will only be me who can fix the printer. Oh dear.
The underground theme of this assignment for me has been to discover the possibilities of blogging and to determine which of these attributes are best for a young adult audience in a public library. I think the insistence on having a library blog is, well, faddish. The thought of communicating with THE LIBRARY seems not only silly, but somehow insulting to the clients. Communicating with specific members of the library community, sure. But the library as an entity all on it's own is just too strange. I think that the YA page is perhaps the perfect place to have a blog. Have the Youth Librarian(s) and other staff members blog about real life things, not just about what the library is doing. A blog is NOT purely a marketing tool. If we are to be fully submerged in this 2.0 business, we have to learn how to do it right. So blog about books, about music, about movie, about how crappy it was to get out of bed this morning, how much you love your cats, or how disturbing you think the current leggings trend is (lookin' at you, Foster).
I also think many of the add-ons that I've utilized in this here blog are great ideas for library blogs, especially for YA users. The LibraryThing widget is just great! I think it's obvious how fun that could be for a discussion group, and for actually encouraging dialogue on a blog. The GoogleMaps/Tagzania mash-up feature is also fun; a great way to have YA clients work together to create maps to share! Where are the best record stores in town? What shop has the best coffee? An awful lot of possibilities. The search box is pretty useful as well, especially to search the site itself. Often blogs are rolling continuously, and searching through can be a pain. I like the idea of linking young adults to different search engines as well. Perhaps a feature where Google, Yahoo, and some other less-known search engines are used so that people have a range of options at their fingertips.
All in all, Blogger is quite easy and painless to use, and I would definitely use them again for another blog. I've definitely enjoyed this assignment, and I'm finally coming to terms with the necessity of technology in my life. I'm slowing leaving behind my Luddite past!
Cheers,
hyde_from_systems
In the beginning, hyde_from_systems felt irrational fear at the concept of thinking like a Systems Librarian would think, but it has come to pass that this fear has been substituted with something a little more like acceptance. It is clear that anyone who will be working in the Information Management business will have to engage in systems thinking, either of the soft and/or hard variety. I envision my professional life to have many more instances of soft systems analysis within the human resource management realm, but I can (now.. after some time) accept that I will also need to know how the hard systems in the library work. Perhaps it will only be me who can fix the printer. Oh dear.
The underground theme of this assignment for me has been to discover the possibilities of blogging and to determine which of these attributes are best for a young adult audience in a public library. I think the insistence on having a library blog is, well, faddish. The thought of communicating with THE LIBRARY seems not only silly, but somehow insulting to the clients. Communicating with specific members of the library community, sure. But the library as an entity all on it's own is just too strange. I think that the YA page is perhaps the perfect place to have a blog. Have the Youth Librarian(s) and other staff members blog about real life things, not just about what the library is doing. A blog is NOT purely a marketing tool. If we are to be fully submerged in this 2.0 business, we have to learn how to do it right. So blog about books, about music, about movie, about how crappy it was to get out of bed this morning, how much you love your cats, or how disturbing you think the current leggings trend is (lookin' at you, Foster).
I also think many of the add-ons that I've utilized in this here blog are great ideas for library blogs, especially for YA users. The LibraryThing widget is just great! I think it's obvious how fun that could be for a discussion group, and for actually encouraging dialogue on a blog. The GoogleMaps/Tagzania mash-up feature is also fun; a great way to have YA clients work together to create maps to share! Where are the best record stores in town? What shop has the best coffee? An awful lot of possibilities. The search box is pretty useful as well, especially to search the site itself. Often blogs are rolling continuously, and searching through can be a pain. I like the idea of linking young adults to different search engines as well. Perhaps a feature where Google, Yahoo, and some other less-known search engines are used so that people have a range of options at their fingertips.
All in all, Blogger is quite easy and painless to use, and I would definitely use them again for another blog. I've definitely enjoyed this assignment, and I'm finally coming to terms with the necessity of technology in my life. I'm slowing leaving behind my Luddite past!
Cheers,
hyde_from_systems
Adding MORE things..
After an ungodly evening of computer crashing and a morning full of shovelling, I'm back!
Attempt 1.3: Google Search Box
I know, I know.. why in the name of all that is holy is it NECESSARY to add more Google to the world? In short, it's not. In long, I feel I must see how difficult it is to be so cool.
So, I (ha) Googled "How to add a Google search box" and got a great hit for askdavetaylor.com. A really easy bit of coding (just copy and paste) and add to the "Add and Element" option in Blogger, and voila! Unfortunately, his advice doesn't seem to be working. I'm not sure if it's because it's a blog? Or because I can't make it work? The search Google part works well, but when I choose the box to just search my blog, no results. Perhaps you need to actually input meta data in order to get anything pulled up? It looks very sleek, and it does the Google job, but I want to be able to search my blog, too!
Attempt 1.3.1: Google Search Box
Onward to GoogleFree. It's clunky, it's ugly, and... it still doesn't work. It must be a blog issue? I'm Googling it to see! Hmm.. seems as though Google is notoriously bad at spidering blogs. Boo. There are a lot of other choices, though!
Attempt 1.4: Yahoo Search Box
Yahoo? Who knows, right? Wrong. None of the options for in-site search seem to work for blogs!!
Attempt 1.5: Technorati Search Box
Technorati = success? I think so! I should have started here. Now I'll know for next time. It's clean-looking on the blog, and it works just fine!
See bottom of page for search box choices: I've decided to keep up Dave Taylor's search box, but I deleted the little check box code bit about choosing only this site. It just doesn't work for blogs. And I've added the Technorati search for hyde_from_systems. One thing I've noticed about Blogger, every time I update a feature in the formatting section, I need to play around with things before I can edit that feature. Annoying. Sometimes I really do need to edit immediately!
Attempt 1.3: Google Search Box
I know, I know.. why in the name of all that is holy is it NECESSARY to add more Google to the world? In short, it's not. In long, I feel I must see how difficult it is to be so cool.
So, I (ha) Googled "How to add a Google search box" and got a great hit for askdavetaylor.com. A really easy bit of coding (just copy and paste) and add to the "Add and Element" option in Blogger, and voila! Unfortunately, his advice doesn't seem to be working. I'm not sure if it's because it's a blog? Or because I can't make it work? The search Google part works well, but when I choose the box to just search my blog, no results. Perhaps you need to actually input meta data in order to get anything pulled up? It looks very sleek, and it does the Google job, but I want to be able to search my blog, too!
Attempt 1.3.1: Google Search Box
Onward to GoogleFree. It's clunky, it's ugly, and... it still doesn't work. It must be a blog issue? I'm Googling it to see! Hmm.. seems as though Google is notoriously bad at spidering blogs. Boo. There are a lot of other choices, though!
Attempt 1.4: Yahoo Search Box
Yahoo? Who knows, right? Wrong. None of the options for in-site search seem to work for blogs!!
Attempt 1.5: Technorati Search Box
Technorati = success? I think so! I should have started here. Now I'll know for next time. It's clean-looking on the blog, and it works just fine!
See bottom of page for search box choices: I've decided to keep up Dave Taylor's search box, but I deleted the little check box code bit about choosing only this site. It just doesn't work for blogs. And I've added the Technorati search for hyde_from_systems. One thing I've noticed about Blogger, every time I update a feature in the formatting section, I need to play around with things before I can edit that feature. Annoying. Sometimes I really do need to edit immediately!
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Sociological Theory 101?
Psst.. Katherine: You're a nerd and I love you!
If you haven't read K.'s comment to my last post, do it.
Quite interesting in terms of our "systems thinking;" the whole idea of modernity leaving folks in the cold. Of developing to a point of non-development. Of forgetting the true nature of the system in lieu of modernization of it.
It really does speak to the current trends in libraries, especially the Library 2.0 madness. We strive to be an intellectual, recreational, and educational centre for modern users, but are we just creating more waste? Does the library itself become redundant as we strive toward modernity? And are we forcing our users toward wasted lives in terms of their place in our new modern system?
Now I definitely have to add Bauman to my list of things to read! Thanks K.!
If you haven't read K.'s comment to my last post, do it.
Quite interesting in terms of our "systems thinking;" the whole idea of modernity leaving folks in the cold. Of developing to a point of non-development. Of forgetting the true nature of the system in lieu of modernization of it.
It really does speak to the current trends in libraries, especially the Library 2.0 madness. We strive to be an intellectual, recreational, and educational centre for modern users, but are we just creating more waste? Does the library itself become redundant as we strive toward modernity? And are we forcing our users toward wasted lives in terms of their place in our new modern system?
Now I definitely have to add Bauman to my list of things to read! Thanks K.!
Things to do when it won't stop snowing...
1. Add things to your Systems Blog.
Attempt 1.1: LibraryThing
I am perhaps the only librarian to be LibraryThingless; I need to sign up. As Jen mentioned in her presentation, it really is THE most simple log-in: one screen, two boxes, and no second chances. Thankfully, I didn't screw up my password!
Adding books is a snap, and fun to boot! I definitely dig this site! I also have no idea how to make my library appear on this blog?? Oh.. I think I can (once again) blame this computer! The screen is so small that the tab for making LibraryThing widgets, etc.was hidden behind the Zeitgeist tab. Wow, this is REALLY easy! Just copy and paste, in the same way that the Tagzania one was done! And it looks good, no?
I think this is a fabulous addition to a Library blog, especially (thinking for my own future) for a Young Adult page. An easy addition that promotes books for YA readers, and promotes interaction both on the blog and on LibraryThing.
Attempt 1.1: LibraryThing
I am perhaps the only librarian to be LibraryThingless; I need to sign up. As Jen mentioned in her presentation, it really is THE most simple log-in: one screen, two boxes, and no second chances. Thankfully, I didn't screw up my password!
Adding books is a snap, and fun to boot! I definitely dig this site! I also have no idea how to make my library appear on this blog?? Oh.. I think I can (once again) blame this computer! The screen is so small that the tab for making LibraryThing widgets, etc.was hidden behind the Zeitgeist tab. Wow, this is REALLY easy! Just copy and paste, in the same way that the Tagzania one was done! And it looks good, no?
I think this is a fabulous addition to a Library blog, especially (thinking for my own future) for a Young Adult page. An easy addition that promotes books for YA readers, and promotes interaction both on the blog and on LibraryThing.
Liquid Modernity, and other such horrors...
After a conversation with my friend Katherine (<--- see stage left) about Zygmunt Bauman's sociological theory, I've come to realize that we all may have Wasted Lives. Oh dear! That's what you get when your friends are Soci/Criminology grad students!
In order to combat the sinking realization of my somewhat redundant and outcast position in life, I've decided to add Google products to my blog. Think about that one, eh?
Attempt 1.0: GoogleMaps Tag Mash-up Thingie
Sweet honorable god; using Tagzania is making my hair gray. Apparently attempting to tag anything whatsoever just makes the longitude revert to 0 (the only non-option). I think it hates me. After 25 painstaking minutes, it worked!! I'm going to blame this on my mother's clunker of a computer, and move past swiftly and effortlessly.
After the inital horror of things just not working, the Tagzania business was really quite simple. A few clicks to become a member, and an easy form to create tags, and there now exists a map tagged with my mom's house! Adding the tagged map to the blog as also super easy; Tagzania offers a "paste this map on your site" option that is fool-proof! You take the code and paste it into Blogger's "Add a Page Element" HTML/Javascript option, and away to go! I really like this option of adding in external coding to create new elements of the blog page; it just seems right!
I can definitely see how this mash-up feature could be useful for a Young Adult library page: indicating where the library branches are, tagging places in your area that are YA friendly, and just randomly adding interesting things about the neighbourhood. Also could be great to use a world map and tag book setting locales as a group! Could be fun trying to pin down EXACTLY where Hogwarts is located! This could also be an interesting way to promote local authors, as people may be more willing to try a new author when they know the book is set in their own backyard. I'm sure there are many more ways to utilize this technology.. any ideas?
In order to combat the sinking realization of my somewhat redundant and outcast position in life, I've decided to add Google products to my blog. Think about that one, eh?
Attempt 1.0: GoogleMaps Tag Mash-up Thingie
Sweet honorable god; using Tagzania is making my hair gray. Apparently attempting to tag anything whatsoever just makes the longitude revert to 0 (the only non-option). I think it hates me. After 25 painstaking minutes, it worked!! I'm going to blame this on my mother's clunker of a computer, and move past swiftly and effortlessly.
After the inital horror of things just not working, the Tagzania business was really quite simple. A few clicks to become a member, and an easy form to create tags, and there now exists a map tagged with my mom's house! Adding the tagged map to the blog as also super easy; Tagzania offers a "paste this map on your site" option that is fool-proof! You take the code and paste it into Blogger's "Add a Page Element" HTML/Javascript option, and away to go! I really like this option of adding in external coding to create new elements of the blog page; it just seems right!
I can definitely see how this mash-up feature could be useful for a Young Adult library page: indicating where the library branches are, tagging places in your area that are YA friendly, and just randomly adding interesting things about the neighbourhood. Also could be great to use a world map and tag book setting locales as a group! Could be fun trying to pin down EXACTLY where Hogwarts is located! This could also be an interesting way to promote local authors, as people may be more willing to try a new author when they know the book is set in their own backyard. I'm sure there are many more ways to utilize this technology.. any ideas?
Look forward to more additions and therefore more metablogs soon!
Dear Systems;
You now have my full and undivided attention. How does that make you feel?
I fully appreciate that the intent of this assignment is absolutely nothing near what has actually happened from my end. I apologize to the Systems world, and beg forgiveness. I will assure you that these next two days will be non-stop Systems thought and implementation of said thought in this meta-blog forum of communication.
[As a side-bar: it's stormy and the lights are flickering. Please think positively (if you are so inclined) so that my power and/or Internet do not disappear under heaps of snow].
I've realized that in the realm of Systems Librarianship, I should not, would not and indeed *could* not actually be a Systems Librarian. Let's be frank; I'm no Sam. But that definitely doesn't leave me devoid of Systems-esque responsibilities. In a perfect world, I will live my life in some area of Youth Librarianship in a Public Library system. Because of this career goal, I figure that any Systems thinking that I engage in here should (if possible) be linked, either tangibly or otherwise to this role.
And it makes me feel so much better about Systems, life, the universe and everything!
In the grand scheme of things, anyone working in an organization needs to think about how they work within the system of people, goals, objectives and tasks of that organization. Easy enough to say, but how many people actually achieve that level of reflection? We often just slog our way through life, ignoring meta-discourse as much as humanly possible. Or meta-anything for that matter. But I think this concept of soft systems, of problem solving and planning and, well, everything as part of one huge entity is essential to achieving a proper level of professionalism. How can we truly help people without knowing how we are doing so, at least on some level?
It's late and I'm rambling.
I fully appreciate that the intent of this assignment is absolutely nothing near what has actually happened from my end. I apologize to the Systems world, and beg forgiveness. I will assure you that these next two days will be non-stop Systems thought and implementation of said thought in this meta-blog forum of communication.
[As a side-bar: it's stormy and the lights are flickering. Please think positively (if you are so inclined) so that my power and/or Internet do not disappear under heaps of snow].
I've realized that in the realm of Systems Librarianship, I should not, would not and indeed *could* not actually be a Systems Librarian. Let's be frank; I'm no Sam. But that definitely doesn't leave me devoid of Systems-esque responsibilities. In a perfect world, I will live my life in some area of Youth Librarianship in a Public Library system. Because of this career goal, I figure that any Systems thinking that I engage in here should (if possible) be linked, either tangibly or otherwise to this role.
And it makes me feel so much better about Systems, life, the universe and everything!
In the grand scheme of things, anyone working in an organization needs to think about how they work within the system of people, goals, objectives and tasks of that organization. Easy enough to say, but how many people actually achieve that level of reflection? We often just slog our way through life, ignoring meta-discourse as much as humanly possible. Or meta-anything for that matter. But I think this concept of soft systems, of problem solving and planning and, well, everything as part of one huge entity is essential to achieving a proper level of professionalism. How can we truly help people without knowing how we are doing so, at least on some level?
It's late and I'm rambling.
Monday, December 4, 2006
Long time no blog...
So I'm back on Newfoundland Time! I speak for most (if not all) People of the Rock when I say there is nothing quite like making that X+1/2 hour change on the watch!
It sure has been a while... I'm hoping that Systems (both soft and hard) are flexible and self-sufficient enough to have dealt well with my absence; both Information Literacy and Collections seem to be a tad more dependant lately. I'll make up with roses and a nice leg of lamb. Maybe even a bubble bath, who can tell.
Anyway, onward, SystemsSoldiers:
As I recall from last week's class (our very last Systems class of, well, forever) it was quite the time! Especially interesting was an overview of Second Life that left most of us silently numb at the sheer strangeness of Online "life." I must admit, I'd much rather be a librarian (ahem.. Information Professional) in a real-life library, dealing (gasp) with solidly human individuals. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but it's the truth! But it's definitely something to think about, especially in terms of relevancy to young adult users, my particular biblio-interest.
So, think about it I did... and I even signed up! First off, you have to choose a last name from a list of oddities. Call me Hyde Eriksen from now on (it sounded strong, and vaguely Vinland). Then you get to choose an avatar! Carrie was right.. lots of pretty and proportionally unsound images to choose from. I went with CityChic (Female), mostly because her breasts seemed the most outrageous and the CyberGoth was just too scary. Then comes the real set-up: name, gender, password, etc. Surprisingly only two gender options; I had thought Second Life would be more open. I quickly moved past the "please pay us money" bit, and now I'm to the downloading stage... on my mother's ancient computer. Let's see how this goes!
Right, well... the monitor is doing this jaundice thing, and the tower is whirring like a hamster may be stuck in there. Second Life rodents are invading! And.. hmm.. seems as though my system (har, har) is incompatible with Second Life.
Guess I'll have to try it on something a little more up-to-date. Like a stone tablet.
I swear something will actually happen the next post. Perhaps not Second Life related, though. I wonder if Hyde Eriksen, CityChic will ever see the light of day?
It sure has been a while... I'm hoping that Systems (both soft and hard) are flexible and self-sufficient enough to have dealt well with my absence; both Information Literacy and Collections seem to be a tad more dependant lately. I'll make up with roses and a nice leg of lamb. Maybe even a bubble bath, who can tell.
Anyway, onward, SystemsSoldiers:
As I recall from last week's class (our very last Systems class of, well, forever) it was quite the time! Especially interesting was an overview of Second Life that left most of us silently numb at the sheer strangeness of Online "life." I must admit, I'd much rather be a librarian (ahem.. Information Professional) in a real-life library, dealing (gasp) with solidly human individuals. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but it's the truth! But it's definitely something to think about, especially in terms of relevancy to young adult users, my particular biblio-interest.
So, think about it I did... and I even signed up! First off, you have to choose a last name from a list of oddities. Call me Hyde Eriksen from now on (it sounded strong, and vaguely Vinland). Then you get to choose an avatar! Carrie was right.. lots of pretty and proportionally unsound images to choose from. I went with CityChic (Female), mostly because her breasts seemed the most outrageous and the CyberGoth was just too scary. Then comes the real set-up: name, gender, password, etc. Surprisingly only two gender options; I had thought Second Life would be more open. I quickly moved past the "please pay us money" bit, and now I'm to the downloading stage... on my mother's ancient computer. Let's see how this goes!
Right, well... the monitor is doing this jaundice thing, and the tower is whirring like a hamster may be stuck in there. Second Life rodents are invading! And.. hmm.. seems as though my system (har, har) is incompatible with Second Life.
Guess I'll have to try it on something a little more up-to-date. Like a stone tablet.
I swear something will actually happen the next post. Perhaps not Second Life related, though. I wonder if Hyde Eriksen, CityChic will ever see the light of day?
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