Thing 45! Cloud Computing

clouds
Originally uploaded by Sheila in Millstone

Cloud Computing.

Thanks to Sheila in Millstone for this photo on FLICKR!


In the June 15, 2009 issue of TIME (page 40), Jon Rubenstein was quoted about people not wanting to be tethered to a computer. He stated, "People keep their data all over the place. It's spread throughout the cloud." I read that before starting on Thing 45, but have been conscious of Cloud Computing being I knew it was one of the last Things. Without being aware, I had been doing Cloud Computing for a long time. More Things on A Stick has helped me to do more, and to try to start organizing. The ZOHO that we have used at work for over a year has been very useful for meeting agendas and minutes, and especially for a project that the librarians have been working on to redesign our subject pages. When we work at multiple campuses, and do not see each other often, it is a great way to keep current without needing to send countless email messages.

The readings on Cloud Computing were very interesting. A major concern seems to be security. I need to do more exploring of the options available, especially for libraries, that I began learning about in Thing 45.

Thing 25! Bloggers' Toolkit

The first thing I did was try the Typealyze as I am interested in Myers-Briggs and had recently been referring to the book Please Understand Me by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates, about the types. I am an ENFP, so thought that it was interesting that my blog was rated as ESTP. Now I want to check some other blogs!

I spent TOO many hours on all of the other options for Thing 25 with trying many gadgets and photos. I added the snow effect, star rating and a CNN news feed. After registering for the PIC APP, I explored many photos there and added a Valentine one for Thing 25. I tried clocks and calendars, but do not want too many widgets on my blog. A FLICKR photo one and several newspaper feeds are also options that I tried and may return to later. Like the girl trying to make a selection below, there are too many choices!

Later: Decided to remove the snow effect now being we are in June!

First Friday Session at MLA 2008 at the Sheraton

100_2433
Originally uploaded by Daardi

Thanks to Daardi for the Flickr photo that I found from my alma mater.

4. WHAT DO COLLEGE STUDENTS LEARN IN HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT RESEARCH? - Kellian Clark, Minnesota State University - Mankato, Librarian.

Attending this session was appropriate as the Minnesota West librarians work at cooperation with area high schools. Pam Sukalski has been instrumental in this area while I am still working at continuing the earlier contacts established and carrying forward with more intense efforts.

SUMMARY

The presenter was dynamic in conveying her message to her audience with such a vital topic. At age 50, she realized that she had not visited high school libraries for many years. She appreciates Minnesota's education system after growing up in Wyoming, but had wanted to establish contact with current feeder schools for MSU - Mankato. Of the 12 schools she contacted, she only had responses from six. My question for her was concern with the other six as I wondered if they had qualified library media staff, or were just too busy to respond. In our area some schools have cut professional library media staff positions, but the ones that I am in contact with are from small, active libraries.

With so much data available on incoming college students, our presenter realized that in profiling the college student body, it is more important for librarians to know about the high school experiences of college freshmen than their ACT scores or nationalities. The literature standards state that students must be able to locate, evaluate, analyze, synthesize, and use information collaboratively.

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

From a 2003 Minnesota study cited in an article by Ross Todd in the Winter 2007 issue (Learn Media), we learned that 63% of Minnesota schools with higher reading scores had full-time media specialists. In a 2003 School Library Journal article, we learned that 1/3 of book budgets for Minnesota library book budgets are from fundraising, and in some cases 100%! Since 2002, Minnesota schools lost an average of 29% per pupil on the amount spent for books. Other articles referred to in the presentation that I want to read are by Chris Lehmann in the July 2007 issue of School Library Journal and by Michael Gorman in American Libraries in October of 2005. In a Minnesota English Journal article available online, "Wait Until You Get to College", Cindy Olson and Anne O'Meara reported that high school students do more PowerPoint projects than research papers. Many students have limited English skills. There are "huge issues" with students being able to critically evaluate sources.

The presenter evaluated library websites of the 6 schools she visited, and found much library information available. Common on them were: LII, Refdesk, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, CIA World Factbook, and Citation Maker.

IMPRESSIONS FROM SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER VISITS

• Security is treated seriously (cannot just walk in a school)
• Busy places!
• Good (if dated!) reference collections (Encyclopedia of Bioethics)
• Fiction is actively sought and frequently circulates
• Similar concerns as college librarians
• Classroom use of technology is good
• Very service oriented - all about the students
• Budget cuts ("The book budget is the same as in 1982")
• Multitasking of staff - cataloging, reference, instuction, technology, EVERYTHING!
• Responsive - most media staff active in soliciting book requests from students
• Students producting movies and PowerPoint presentations more than writing papers
• Students have used databases
• Students have been required to cite
• Students have had access to reference books
• Students are familiar with Dewey system (not Library of Congress)
• Research problems are closely related to reading problems
• Students had problems finding, evaluating and using their sources WELL

CONCLUSIONS

1. Articulate familiar concepts (Databases, citing citations)
2. Introduce new concepts (Evaluation of all resources, controlled vocabulary)
3. Support high school libraries

APPLICATIONS FOR ME

1. Read the articles mentioned as well as the recent Chronicle of Higher Education one on the percentage of high school students being ready for college
2. Call more area media specialists rather than send email messages. In my experience from last spring, I had more responses from the area librarians that I already knew than those that I did not
3. Work with the other Minnesota West librarians to establish a plan to carry out goal of more contact with Minnesota West librarians (Use staff wiki)

OBSTACLES

The presenter has a great appreciation for school media personnel after realizing how much that they are expected to do. She admits that in her position she has one role - instruction, and does not need to do any cataloging or technology work. She contacts other MSU professional librarians for expertise in those areas. Attending the presention, helped to "fire up" the desire to work with high schools, but the time to do it and balance other roles is tricky.

THING TWENTY-FOUR (and Thing Four!)

24. Eat SOMETHING on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair.

Even though my goal was to finish 23 Things before making our annual trek to the Minnesota State Fair, I still enjoyed consuming Things on a Stick this year. The frozen chocolate covered bananas are my favorites. Key Lime Pie on a stick is good too!

Thanks to dahl for posting the photo on Flickr.

Chocolate Covered Banana On A Stick
Originally uploaded by dahl

Thing Five Revisited!

Thing Five!

My creation
Originally uploaded by kayh6951

5. More Flickr Fun.

I have had fun doing lots of "trading cards" and framed shots, but needed help figuring out how to post one to the blog. (Thanks, Connie!)

The photo is of the group at a National Endowment for the Humanities Workshop, The Gilded Age, that I attended at the Hayes Center in Fremont, Ohio. I like some of the other trading cards that I did better, and plan to try working with trading cards again.

Later: The Spell With Flickr was also fun to try, and I added a 358 near the top of the blog. It was fun to try many different combinations of the numbers. I also added a neon banner at the bottom of Blog 358.

Thing Four!

4. Explore FLICKR. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaykivi/287714927/ Here is a link to one of many great Prague photos.

In FLICKR I enjoyed exploring a few of the many photos available. I saved some favorites of Prague in my del.ic.ious account. On the first day that I worked on this blog, I linked my del.ic.ious account on the sidebar on the right.

Prague is a wonderful city where I would like to return sometime. I was only there for two days (before digital cameras were available).

The notes that the St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict's Libraries use to label their books is a great use of FLICKR that I first saw at an MLA session last year presented by LeAnn Suchy.

LATER: On 09/07, I posted a photo from FLICKR on this blog as Thing Twenty-four.